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THE 



HISTORICAL FINGER-POST 



HANDY BOOK OP TERMS, PHRASES, EPITHETS, 

COGNOMENS, ALLUSIONS, &c. 



IN- CONNECTION WITH 



UNIVERSAL HISTORY, 





INCLUDING 




POLITICS. 






AETS AND SCIENCES 


THEOLOGY. 






GEOGRAPHY. 


LAW. 






TRADITION. 


COMMEECE. 






NATIONAL, SOCIAL, 


LITERATURE. 






AND PERSONAL 


ARMY AND NAVY. 






CHARACTERISTICS. 




ETC. E3 


C. ETC. 





By EDWARD SHELTON, 

ONE OF THE CONTRIBUTORS TO THE "REASON WHY" SERIES, 
ASSISTANT EDITOR OP THE "DICTIONARY OE DAILY WANTS," ETC. 



SECOND EDITION. 



LONDON" : 
LOCKWOOD & CO., 7, STATIONERS' HALL COURT. 



V^ 



1865. 



' 



4- 6 






' ft 



PREFACE. 



Every reader of general literature is aware that it is 
japossible to take up a newspaper, a periodical, or an 
ordinary volume, without meeting with numerous allusions 
of an historical character. These are frequently employed 
by the writer as illustrations of his theme, and the reader 
is supposed to be familiar with them, and capable of applying- 
them accordingly. 

In many instances the names, terms, or epithets emr 
ployed have never been met with before. In others, they 
have occurred in youthful studies long since forgotten, 
or in discursive reading only imperfectly remembered. 
When the eye of the partially informed reader lights upon 
these symbols, he is, generally speaking, content to guess 
at the meaning, and to pass on. In other cases, where the 
reader, more scrupulous, wishes to gain the clue, he has 
no alternative but to undertake a long and tedious search 
through histories, encyclopedias, and dictionaries. Thus, 
in the one case, error is perpetuated ; and in the other, 
research is discouraged and rendered irksome. 

But the work which we now place before the reader will, 
so far as it goes, prevent misconception on the one hand, 



IV PKEFACE. 

and lighten the labour of investigation on the other ; 
inasmuch as any one of its passages may be referred to on 
the instant, with scarcely a halt or interruption to the 
subject under perusal. 

Be it understood, however, that it is not sought to elevate 
this humble performance at the expense of weightier and 
more valuable authorities. Far from depreciating such 
important labours, the Compiler not only acknowledges his 
obligations to them in the preparation of this volume, but 
strongly recommends their study, and deems this a not 
inappropriate place to introduce a list of some of the various 
publications referred to ; viz. : — 

Conversations-Lexicon ; Saint Laurent's Dictionnaire 
Encyclopedique Usuel ; Dictionnaire de la Conversation ; 
Encyclopedie des Gens du Monde ; Dezobry et Bachelet's 
Dictionnaire General de Biographie, Histoire, &c. ; Ency- 
clopaedia Americana ; Dictionnaire des Dates ; Macaulay's 
History of England ; Hone's Year Book ; Hone's E very- 
Day Book; Blakey's History of Political Literature; 
Doubleday's Financial History of England ; Tooke's His- 
tory of Prices ; Parry's Parliaments of England ; Oldfield's 
Representative History of Great Britain ; Godwin's History 
of the Commonwealth; Strutt's Manners and Customs; 
Hallam's History of the Middle Ages ; Hallam's Constitu- 
tional History of England ; Alison's History of Europe ; 
Hume's History of England; Keightley's History of Eng- 
land; Grote's History of Greece; Gibbon's Decline and 
Fall of the Roman Empire ; Rollin's Ancient History ; 
Tytler's Elements of Universal History ; Russell's Modern 
Europe ; Arnold's History of Rome ; Smith's Dictionary of 



PREFACE. V 

Antiquities ; Tomlin's Law Dictionary ; Rose's Biographi- 
cal Dictionary ; Clinton's Fasti Hellenici ; Bevington's 
History of the Middle Ages ; Aspin's Analysis of Universal 
History ; Wade's* British Chronology ; Heeren's Historical 
Researches; Robertson's Histories of Scotland, America, 
and Charles the Fifth ; Palgrave's History of Normandy ; 
Historical Register ; Cooke's History of Party ; Clarendon's 
History of the Rebellion ; Beatson's Political Index ; ^ 
Timbs's Things Not Generally Known; Selby's Events * 
to be Remembered ; History in all Ages ; Gleanings, v 
Historical and Literary ; Bartlett's Dictionary of Ame- 
ricanisms ; Dictionary of Familiar Sayings ; Hunt's Little^ 
World of Knowledge ; Stocqueler's Military Encyclopaedia ; 
Bartlett's New Tablet of Memory ; Robinson's Theological 
Dictionary ; Buck's Theological Dictionary, &c, &c. 

The limited extent of this undertaking has necessarily 
rendered it one of selection ; for if all the items of informa- 
tion appertaining to any one of the sections comprised 
herein were included, they would of themselves have proved 
sufficient to fill a bulky volume. The principle adopted, 
therefore, has been, first, to include those allusions which 
are most frequently met with ; secondly, such as the general 
reader is least acquainted with ; and, thirdly, to reject 
such subjects as were assumed to be sufficiently obvious 
and familiar. 

Doubtless, in endeavouring to carry out this view, 
there have been errors of omission and commission. Some 
things may have been rejected which might have been 
selected, and others may have been adopted which should 
have been excluded. 



VI PREFACE. 

These objections have been anticipated, and considerable 
pains taken to meet them. It is seldom, however, that 
individual judgment can cope with universal expectation; 
and it is trusted that, notwithstanding minor defects, the 
work, as a whole, will prove eminently useful, and in a 
great measure fulfil the purpose for which it has been 
designed. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



Section Page 
I. Wars, Battles, Naval and Military Expeditions, &c. .«. 1 
II. Conspiracies, Plots, Revolts, Riots, Tumults, Insur- 
rections, &c. ... ... ... ... ... 15 

III. Factions, Political Parties, Secret Societies, Cliques, 

Coteries, &c. ... ... ... ... ... 29 

IV. Dynasties, Royal Houses, Noble and Illustrious Families, 

&c. ... ... ... ... ... ... 41 

V. Empires, Territorial Divisions, Forms of Government, &c. 49 

VI. Dignities, Titles, Offices of State and Honour, &c. ... 57 

VII. Treaties, Conventions, Leagues, Convocations, Councils, 

Deliberative Assemblies, &c. ... ... ... 67 

VIII. Religious Sects and Denominations, Ecclesiastical Orders, 

Divisions, &c. ... ... ... ... ... 79 

IX. Philosophies, Systems, Doctrines, &c. ... ... 98 

X. Laws, Enactments, Codes, Constitutions, &c. ... ... 100 

XI. Places, Provinces, Districts, Territories, &c. ... ... 131 

XII. Races, Peoples, Classes, Tribes, &c. ... ... ... 1461, 

XIII. Military Organizations ... ... ... ... 163 

XIV. Superstitions, Fables, Traditions, &c. ... ... 171 

XV. Romance, Legend, Imaginary and Mysterious Personages 187 

XVI. Personal Epithets, Surnames, Distinguishing Titles, &c. 197 
XVII. National Epithets, Political, Classical, and Social 

Allusions ... ... ... ... ... 228 



TABLE OP CONTENTS. 



Section 
XVIII. 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 

XXIII. 

XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 

Index 



Memorable Sayings, Mottoes, Party Cries, National 

Songs, Hymns, &c. 
Books of Faith, Kecords, Remarkable Publications, &c. 
Literature, Art, Science, Discoveries, Inventions, &c. . 
Insignia, Emblems, Orders of Knighthood, &c. 
National Institutions, Customs, &c... 
Objects of Curiosity, Interest, and Wonder ... 
Epochs, Anniversaries, Sports, &c. ... ... . 

Prisons, Punishments, Penalties, Taxes, &c. ... 

Parliamentary Terms, Legal and Commercial Phrases 

&c. ... •• . 



Page 

250 
265 
275 
290 
303 
318 
326 
339 

351 
361 



THE 



HISTORICAL FINGER-POST. 



SEGTIOIT I. 

WAES, BATTLES, NAVAL AND MILITARY 
EXPEDITIONS, etc. 

Acre, Siege of. — Acre is a port and fortified city of Syria, 
which Napoleon Bonaparte attempted to storm in 1799. For two 
months he endeavoured to carry the place by incessant assaults, but, 
although its only defenders were a band of English sailors and a 
few Turks, the defence was so gallantly maintained, that the 
besieging party were compelled to retire, utterly discomfited. 

Actilim, Battle of. — A memorable naval engagement fought be- 
tween Mark Antony and Octavius, 31 B.C. The former was totally 
defeated, and put an end to his existence. Octavius, thus freed 
from his rival, assumed the imperial power ; Rome, ceasing 
to be a republic was placed under the arbitrary sway of one 
ruler. 

Affghail War. — In 1841, England, in order to check the 
advances of Russia towards her eastern possessions, determined 
to possess herself of Cabul. The army had to fight its way there, 
and finally succeeded in making a settlement. After two years 
the people of Cabul rose against the English, who were forced to 
retire with the most terrific slaughter. 

Agincourt, Battle of.— Fought October 25th, 1415, between 

B 



THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST 



the French and English armies. In this battle 10,000 of the 
French were killed, and 14,000 made prisoners ; among the slain 
were 3 dukes, an archbishop, a marshal, 13 earls, 92 barons, and 
1500 knights ; among the prisoners, 2 dukes of the blood royal, 
7000 barons, knights, and gentlemen. 

Areola, Battle of. — The scene of a terrible conflict between 
a portion of the Austrian and the French army, and which took 
place November 16th, 1796. In this fanums struggle, Napoleon 
Bonaparte performed prodigies of valour, forced the passage of 
the bridge, and totally routed the enemy, who lost in the engage- 
ment 18,000 men. This victory, however, was not gained without 
a loss of 15,000 on the side of the French. 

Argonantic Expedition. — An expedition respecting which 
there appears to exist a mixture of truth and fable. It is sup- 
posed to have been undertaken about 1263 B.C. It was 
commanded by Jason, the son of iEson, King of Iolcos in 
Thessaly, with the view of bringing from Colchis the golden 
fleece of the ram which carried Phrixus thither ; for upon the 
accomplishment of this object depended the recovery of his 
paternal inheritance, of which he had been defrauded by his 
father's brother Pelias. 

Bannockfeurn, Battle of. — Fought between the English army, 
under Edward the Second, and the Scotch forces, under Robert 
Bruce, in 1314. Edward was defeated, and the power of England 
in the North sustained a severe check. 

Basque Roads, The Cutting-out in. — A gallant naval exploit 
in which Lord Cochrane greatly distinguished himself, and 
which took place April 12th, 1809. With a comparatively small 
force, Lord Cochrane attacked a French squadron lying in the 
Basque Roads, burned four ships of the line and three frigates, 
besides disabling several others. This affair gave rise to a 
court-martial on Admiral Gambier, who was §ccused by Lord 
Cochrane, of not acting with the energy and promptitude which 
the emergency demanded. The result was, that Admiral 
Gambier was acquitted, while Lord Cochrane was for many 
years subjected to a series of persecutions and personal indigni- 
ties, at the instigation of the ministry of the day, and the 
Admiralty. 



WARS, BATTLES, AND EXPEDITIONS. 



Boulogne Flotilla. — An armament fitted out by Napoleon 
Bonaparte at Boulogne in 1804, for the purpose of invading 
England. It consisted of 1,300 vessels, 17,000 seamen, 160,000 
soldiers, 10,000 horse, and a proportionate strength of artillery. 
The design was frustrated by Nelson's destruction of the com- 
bined fleets of France and Spain, and the Flotilla was thereupon 
dispersed. 

Boyne, Battle of the. — Fought between the forces of James 
the Second and those of William the Third, on the banks of the 
river Boyne, near Drogheda, Ireland, July 1st, 1690. In this 
engagement great gallantry was displayed on either side, by the 
troops of William, especially, who forded the river breast-high, 
and charged the enemy on the opposite bank in the face of a 
murderous fire. The fate of this battle was most decisive in 
favour of William the Third, while the hopes of James the Second 
received their death-blow in the signal defeat that he sustained. 

Brandywine, Battle of. — A battle fought on the banks of the 
river Brandywine, in Chester county, Pennsylvania, between 
the American forces, under General Washington, and the British 
army, commanded by Sir William Howe, September 11th, 1777. 
The consequence of this engagement was a temporary victory for 
the British, and their subsequent occupation of Philadelphia. 

Bunker's Hill, Battle of. — Fought between the English and 
the Americans, June 16th, 1775. It took place upon a fortified 
eminence commanding the town of Boston. The English were 
successful, but suffered a very heavy loss. 

Cafire War. — Occasioned by the repeated invasions of the 
Caffres — natives of an extensive coast in South Africa — of the 
British possessions. After submitting to these incessant incur- 
sions for several years, the population rose in defence in 1850 ; 
from this period till 1853, numerous minor engagements took 
place, when peace was re-established upon the conditions offered 
by the English. 

Chseronea, Battle of. — An encounter which took place 388 B.C., 
between the Athenians and Macedonians, and chiefly remark- 
able for the victory gained by Philip with a comparatively 
small army, and in which he was mainly assisted by his son 

b 2 



THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 



Alexander, then only seventeen years old. By this victory, also, 
the supremacy of Greece was transferred to Macedon. 

Chesapeake and Shannon.— The names of two vessels, the 
former American, the latter British, between which a species 
of naval duel was fought, June 1st, 1813. This encounter was 
remarkable for the determination and gallantry displayed on 
either side. The result was the total defeat of the American 
vessel. 

Civil Wars. — In English history, a series of battles between 
the army of Charles the First and the Parliamentary forces ; 
extending- from 1642 to 1645, and renewed by the adherents of 
Charles the Second in 1640. Numerous causes contributed to 
this conflict : but it was chiefly owing- to the sovereign enforcing 
subsidies without the consent oi' the people, to carry on his 
continental wars, and in resolving to rule the kingdom without a 
parliament. 

Cornnna, Battle of. — A memorable incident in the Peninsular 
war, having for its hero Sir John Moore, the English general. 
In January, 1809, Sir John was advancing towards Madrid 
to oppose the French ; he had arrived as tar as Salamanca, 
when intelligence reached him that Madrid had already sur- 
rendered to the French, and that an immense army invested the* 
city. Under these circumstances, he considered it prudent to 
withdraw. A retreat was effected in the most masterly manner, 
although the troops were surrounded by imminent dangers, and 
scourged by disease and famine. With an army reduced to 
14,000 men. Sir John succeeded in reaching the sea-coast at 
Corunna, Here the French, with an army exceeding 20,000, 
attacked him. The result was a glorious victory for the English, 
who, however, lost their gallant general in the engagement, and 
were forced to bury his body hastily on the ramparts of Corunna. 
This latter circumstance gave rise to Wolfe's affecting verses 
known as " The Burial of Sir John Moore.'" 

Crecy, Battle of.— Fought August 26th, 1346. Famous for 
the complete victory gained over the French by Edward the 
Flack Prince, and for the number of French that were slain and 
taken prisoners. 



WARS, BATTLES, AND EXPEDITIONS. 



Crimean War. — The origin of this war was a demand 
made upon Turkey, by Russia, to "protect" 11,000,000 of the 
Christian subjects of the Sultan. This concession being denied, 
Russia declared war against the Turks, and England and France 
became their allies. Several sanguinary battles were fought 
until 1856, when the struggle was terminated by a general treaty 
signed at Paris. The term Crimean is derived from the Crimea, 
a certain area of the Russian territories, in which these events 
took place. 

Crusades or Holy Wars. — Expeditions undertaken by the 
mediaeval Christians to rescue Jerusalem and the adjacent coun- 
tries, called the Holy Land, from the hands of the infidel Saracens. 
The first crusade was entered upon in 1096 ; the eighth, and last, 
in 1270. The desire to join these remarkable pilgrimages was 
universal throughout Europe, and it is estimated that upwards of 
2,000,000 lives were lost by these fanatical expeditions. On the 
other hand, much real benefit was derived from the crusades : 
literature, art, and science being enriched by the commerce thus 
opened up with other countries ; and civilization being consider- 
ably advanced thereby. The term crusade is derived from the 
cross, which was the symbol worn or carried by the crusaders. 

Flodden Field, Battle of.— A battle fought September 9th, 
1513, in Northumberland, between the English and the Scotch, 
owing to James the Fourth of Scotland having taken part with 
Louis the Twelfth of France, against Henry the Eighth. In this 
battle, the king of Scotland, a large number of the chief nobles, 
and upwards of 10,000 men, were slain ; while the English loss 
was very small, and comprised only persons of small note. 

Fronde. — A species of civil war between the French parlia- 
ment and the Court party, and in the commencement (1648) 
manifesting itself in deadly hostility to Cardinal Mazarin, the 
prime minster, whose opponents were termed frondeurs or 
jeerers. The people of Paris took part with the malcontents ; 
tumults ensued, and the queen and her son were compelled to 
quit the capital. In a short time the war extended itself to the 
provinces, and continued till 1653, in which year the contending 
parties settled their differences, and a truce was concluded. 



THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 



Guerilla. — A word signifying literally "little war," but 
generally applied to the irregular bodies of Spaniards, who took 
up arms against the French invaders in 1809, and employed them- 
selves in intercepting detachments and convoys as they passed 
through the mountains and plains. This mode of warfare was 
adopted by the people, after the failure of the regular Spanish 
armies to arrest the progress of the French. It proved highly 
successful. The term has since been applied to all warfare of an 
irregular and desultory kind, such as the achievements of the 
bands under Garibaldi in Italy. 

Hastings, Battle of. — Fought October 13th, 1066, between 
William of Normandy and Harold, the Saxon king. It is one of 
the fiercest struggles recorded in modern history. Harold was 
slain, William was proclaimed king, and hence the Anglo-Norman 
dynasty under which the English still live. 

Jugnrthine War. — Between Jugurtha, King of Eumidia in 
Africa, and the Eomans, commenced 111 B.C., and ended 103 B.C. 
The African king was defeated and led in chains to Rome, and 
his kingdom fell under the Roman yoke. 

Xars, Defence of. — Kars, a town in Asiatic Turkey, and 
the key of Russia and the East, was, during the Russian War, 
consigned to the keeping of General Williams, a British officer. 
The force of the garrison consisted of 15,000 men, and they were 
furnished with three months' provision, and a slender supply of 
ammunition. The Russian besieging army numbered 40,000 
infantry, and 10,000 cavalry. Yet, at these fearful odds, the 
garrison held out from the middle of June to the end of Novem- 
ber, 1855, and once repulsed the besiegers with a loss of 6000 
men. At length, the general was compelled by famine to 
surrender, and the Russian commander took occasion to extol the 
endurance and heroism of his antagonist. As some recognition 
of General Williams's services, and in especial commemoration 
of them, he was created a baronet, with the title of Sir Fenwick 
Williams of Kars. 

Lodi, Battle of. — An engagement fought under the personal 
direction of Napoleon Bonaparte, and in which he displayed 
great personal bravery. Lodi is a small town in Italy, on the 



WASS, BATTLES, AND EXPEDITIONS. 



Eiver Adda. On the 10th of May, 1796, the French and 
Anstrians met upon this bridge, and after a sanguinary struggle a 
passage was forced by the French, with Bonaparte at their head. 
By this victory, all Lombardy in a few days became the spoil of 
the invading army. 

Lnclmow, Belief of. — One of the most affecting episodes 
of the Indian War in 1857. The garrison of Lucknow was 
harassed on every side by mutineers, and its brave defenders 
subjected to the united horrors of pestilence and famine. Not- 
withstanding their trials and afflictions, this heroic band of men 
succeeded in keeping their enemy at bay, and in holding their 
own. After enduring unheard-of sufferings for a protracted 
period, the besieged were at length relieved by General Havelock, 
on the 25th of September, 1857. 

Maliratta War. — The Mahrattas, a people of Hindostan, 
made war against the East India Company in 1774 and 1782. 
They were subdued in 1818, and their prince became a pensioner 
of the British Government. 

Malplaquet, Battle of. — A brilliant engagement fought by the 
allied English and Dutch armies against the French, September 
11, 1709. The latter were signally defeated. 

Marathon, Battle of. — A memorable victory obtained by the 
Athenians over the Persians 490 B.C. The Persian forces amounted 
to- 300,000 men, while the army" of Miltiades, the Athenian 
general, numbered only 10,000. Notwithstanding these over- 
powering odds, the Athenians gained a complete victory with 
the loss of only 200 men, whereas on the Persian side about 
6000 were slain. 

Marstoii Moor. — An engagement fought July 2nd, 1644, be- 
tween the army of Charles the First, under Prince Rupert, and 
the Parliamentarian forces commanded by Cromwell and Fairfax ; 
the latter achieved a decisive victory, and the affair proved one of 
the most disastrous to the royal cause. 

Mithridatic War. — An expedition undertaken by the Eomans 
against Mithridates, king of Pontus, and continuing from 88 B.C. 
to 63 B.C. During this interval, many battles were fought with 
varied success, the war being at length terminated by the defeat 



THE HISTOEICAL FINGER-POST : 



and dethronement of Mithridates, who ultimately put an end to 
his life. 

Moscow, Burning of. — In 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte set out 
for the invasion of Kussia with an army of 500,000 men. In 
the face of all obstacles, he fought his way to Moscow ; but no 
sooner had he arrived there, than the inhabitants set fire to -the 
city, which in a short time became untenable, and the invaders 
were forced to retreat. The terrible winter of the North came 
on, and the invading army was exposed to all the horrors of 
frost, aggravated by famine and fatigue. Out of the vast army 
which had proudly traversed the country a few weeks before, not 
more than 50,000 men returned, and these without arms, baggage, 
or supplies. The conflagration of Moscow resulted in the de- 
struction of 11,800 houses. 

Pavia, Battle of. — Fought in 1525, and singularly disastrous 
to the French arms. Francis the First, who had long endeavoured 
to retain and defend his dominion in Italy, was by means of this 
battle driven out of Italy ; he himself taken prisoner, the flower 
of his army slain, and his resources for carrying on the war 
utterly exhausted. 

Pelopoimesian War. — The name given to a celebrated con- 
test between the Athenians and Spartans, and in which the in- 
habitants of Peloponnesus — a peninsula of Greece — played the 
most conspicuous part. This Avar lasted twenty-seven years, 
commencing 431 B.C. and terminating 404 B.C. The origin of 
the war was the jealousy of the Spartans, who could not see, 
without envy, Athens mistress of Greece. The consequence was 
the defeat of the Athenian army, the annihilation of the power of 
Athens, and her entire subjugation to Sparta. Unfortunately, 
the war proved fatal to Greece itself, by admitting strangers into 
its quarrels, and thus destroying the unity and nationality, in 
which lay its strength. 

Peninsular War.— Commenced in 1808. Napoleon Bonaparte 
had placed his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, on the throne of 
Spain. Oppressed by the rule of France, the Spaniards applied 
to England for redress. In answer to this appeal, Wellington 
was despatched with an army to Spain. After many hotly 



WARS, BATTLES, AND EXPEDITIONS. 



contested battles, Spain was, in 1813, rescued from the French, 
Joseph Bonaparte was compelled to quit the kingdom, and 
Ferdinand the Seventh was restored to his territories and placed 
upon the throne. 

Pliarsalia, Battle of. — Upon the death of Crassus, one of the 
consuls with whom Caesar and Pompey were associated, the two 
latter contended for the sovereignty. The rival forces met on 
the plains of Pliarsalia 48 B.C., and a battle was fought — Caesar 
gaining a complete victory, and Pompey flying into Egypt, where 
he was immediately assassinated. 

Philippi, Battle of. — Remarkable as being the battle at which 
the last struggle for Roman freedom took place. It was fought 
42 B.C., and the republican forces of Brutus and Cassius were 
signally defeated. Philippi was a town of Macedonia, and took 
it's name from Philip, the king of Macedon. 

Poictiers, Battle of. — Took place in France, September 19th, 
1356. The French army was entirely defeated, and the French 
king, John, was taken prisoner and carried to London. 

Pultowa, Battle of. — Fought July 8th, 1709, between Russia 
and Sweden, the latter being totally defeated. This contest 
is remarkable from the fact of Charles the Twelfth, the Swedish 
king, issuing his orders from a litter, in which he lay suffering 
from a dangerous wound which he had received just previously. 
The loss of the Swedes was 9000 killed, and 18,000 taken 
prisoners ; the fortunes of Charles were annihilated, and he with 
difficulty escaped to the Turkish frontier. 

Punic Wars. — The name of three memorable wars, in which 
the Romans and Carthaginians (Pceni) were engaged for more 
than a century. The causes of these contests were, the antago- 
nism of the two republics, the natural hostility between a warlike 
race and a commercial people, and the ambition of the Romans 
to become the masters of the sea. The first Punic war was 
entered upon 264 B.C., and lasted twenty-three years. The second 
Punic war began 218 B.C., and lasted seventeen years. The 
third Punic war commenced 149 B.C., and after a struggle of three 
years, was terminated 146 B.C. ; Carthage being totally destroyed 
and reduced to a mere Roman province. 



10 rut' HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: 

Quebec, Taking' of.— Loon the heights of Abraham, a chain 
of almost perpendicular bills commanding the town of Quebec, 
in Canada, a memorable engagement was fought between 
the English ami French, September 13th, 1759. The battle is 
pondered the more famous by the death of the British general 
Wolfe, in the moment ot' victory, and who died exulting in the 
triumph awarded to his country. Quebec taken, the whole ot 
Canada fell under English dominion. 

Rochelle, Siege of. — A remarkable event in the history ot 
warfare, occurring in the year 1027. Poehelle was a fortified 
town situated on the French coast, and for a long time became 
the stroug-hoid ot' the Protestants. When Cardinal Richelieu 
came into power, he determined to crush the Protestants, and 
with i ha: view laid siege to Koehelle. The struggle was sustained 
for a period ot' fourteen months, and then the besieged capitu- 
lated with a loss of 10,000 souls out of 15,000. 

Soses, Wars of the.- «rs originated in the claims 

to tlic crown of England, made by Richard, Duke of York, in 
. of his descent from Lionel second son of Edward the 
Third; and by Henry, Puke of Lancaster, son of John of Gaunt, 
who was the third son of the king of England. In these strug- 
gles, the a Df the House of Lancaster wore red roses as 
marks of distinction ; while the partisans of the House of York 
wore white roses. These wars continued from 1453 till 148(3, in 
which latter year the two contending houses became united by 
the marriage of Henry the Seventh with Elizabeth, daughter of 
Edward the Fourth. 

Sacred War. — An appellation given to a war for the posses- 
sion of the Oracle of Delphi, between the Phoeians assisted by 
•s, and the Pelphians assisted by Sparta, 448 r..e. The 
V. . • succeeded in reinstating the Phoeians in the care of 

the temple, and see - .. \ , aiselves the privilege of first con- 

sulting the oraele. >nd sacred war took place §56 iu\, 

and was occasioned by the Phoeians seizing and plundering 
lite temple at Delphi. The war was terminated by Philip, 
who slew the generals of the Phoeians, and destroyed all their 
cities. 

Saninite War. — A struggle which took place between the 



WARS, BATTLES* AND EXPEDITIONS. 11 

Samnites, a powerful people of Italy, and the Romans. It com- 
menced 343 B.C., and continued with but short intermissions till 
290 B.C. It terminated in the Romans compelling the Samnites 
to pass under the yoke, which thus gave them the dominion of 
Italy, and the empire of the world. 

Seven Years' War. — A war which raged in Europe from 175G 
to 1703, and which arose from two causes. In Germany, the 
desire of Austria to wrest from Prussia the territories which 
she had lost in the preceding war. And between France and 
England, a dispute respecting the boundaries of their American 
possessions. This war was concluded by the Treaty of Paris, 
in 17G3, without either party having reaped any benefit by their 
contentions. 

SiMl War. — Caused by an unprovoked attack made by the 
Sikhs upon the British in 1845. Several engagements took place 
up to 1849,. in which year the Sikhs were induced to relinquish 
warfare, and make an unconditional surrender. 

Social or Marsian War. — Commenced 91 n.c, and continued 
three years, between the Socii of Italy and the Romans. It arose 
from the Italians claiming the rights of citizenship, which the 
Romans withheld. After a fierce struggle, which cost nearly 
300,000 lives, the senate of Rome granted the claims of the 
Italians, and thus re-established peace. 

Spanish Armada. — In 1588, the Church of Pome became 
impatient at the spread of Protestantism ; and, regarding 
England as the refuge, and Elizabeth the protectress of the 
Protestants, her subjection, and the conquest of the coun- 
try was determined upon. To achieve this end, the Pope, 
Sixtus V., incited Philip II. of Spain to undertake an expedition 
against England. Accordingly, a fleet of 150 ships of war, 
manned by 27,000 men, and armed with 3000 pieces of cannon, 
set sail for the British coast. "When, however, the Armada 
reached the English Channel, it became partially weakened by a 
violent storm that arose, and the remnant was taken or destroyed 
by the British admirals. 

Spurs, Battle of the. — A battle fought in 1513 by the allied 
armies of the English, Germans, and Swiss against the Erench. 
It received its name from the circumstance of the French cavalry 



1"2 THE HISTOKICAL FIXGEE-POST : 

spurring their horses to flight almost as soon as they beheld the 
enemy. 

Succession, Austrian, War of. — This war commenced in 
1741. The Emperor of Austria, Charles the Sixth, by virtue of 
a statute promulgated by him, and acknowledged by the other 
powers, named his daughter, Maria Theresa, as successor to the 
throne, in default of heirs male. On the death of the Emperor, 
however, a number of princes declared the "Pragmatic Sanction " 
null and void, and advanced themselves as claimants to the 
throne. These rival pretensions gave rise to a war which became 
general throughout Europe. Charles Albert, Elector of Bavaria, 
was declared Emperor. Upon his death, in 1745, the husband of 
Maria Theresa was elected emperor under the title of Francis the 
First. The war, nevertheless, continued till 1748, when it was 
terminated by a mutual restitution of conquests, and a guarantee 
of the Pragmatic Sanction. 

Succession, Spanish War of. — In the year 1700 the throne 
Spain became vacant by the demise of Charles the Second, 
who died childless. At this juncture, Louis the Fourteenth, 
of France, claimed the crown for his grandson Philip, Duke 
of Aiijou ; the Emperor Leopold, of Germany, for his second 
son Charles. The rival interests of France and Austria gave rise 
to a war in which all the European powers took part, England 
being opposed to France. Several battles were fought in connec- 
tion with this question, between the years 1702 and 1713, and 
finally the French prince was permitted to ascend the throne. 

Tearless Battle. — A celebrated victory gained 367 B.C. by 
Archidamus the Spartan, over the imited armies of Argos, 
Arcadia, and Messenia. These armies fled without offering the 
slightest resistance, and in the pursuit 10,000 men are said to 
have been put to death without the loss of a single Lacedaunonian ; 
upon the receipt of the news at Sparta, the emotion felt was so 
powerful, that all the Spartans who heard it burst into tears, the 
king and the senators setting the example. 

Ten Thousand, Eetreat of the. — One of the most renowned 
examples of military tactics ever recorded. 401 B.C., Cyrus, prince 
of Persia, conspired against his brother Artaxerxes Mnemon, 



AXD EXP : 



the reigning king. To further this project . the 

-Jain fighting, and the 
generate of the ' .ring treacherously assassinated, the re- 

mainder of the army, to the numbe: rf rjmenced ti 

'ncipally under the direction of Xenophon. one of their 

nent was beset by numerous difficultie- 

dang were surrounded by nations inflamed with the 

most deadly hostility, they wei 160C miles distant from h 
and had neither provisions nor money. In the face 
apparently insurmountah! e ■- however, they succeeded in 

reaching their native land in s^.: 

Thermopyis. Pass of. — The name of a narrow pass leading 
from into L. .' and Phocis. between the mountains 

and the sea. and rendered celebrated me of the most hei 
When the Persian army were advancing to 

: defending this imports; past ; .olved on 
Spartan . - and who for this pi: : 
- ] -.mall band with-.' 

the attacks of the whole Persian army for many lay* thout 
yielding one foot of ground. At length a Greek sp 
the Persians a path by which the mountain could be ascended above 

this was accomplish : L s onidas foreseeing the 

tainty of his fete, dismissed his allies, and with 30C Sparl 

ted himself to death. All of these < except one, 

while the 1c .' -ians amounted to 20,C men. 

rtdrty Years Waa ■.— . : in which religion and polita 

were both concerned, continuing from 1618 !.:-.. It was 

- the antagonism of the Catholics and Protestants ; 

- He : of Austria. In this 

war Franc 3 otzerland. and many mi: at bore 

part. It was terminated by the treaty " : -tphalia. 

[Trojan War. — Thia event . a3 happening at an 

: r :ian history. Some authorities regard it as 

a reality, while others pronounce it to be a tale wholly or partially 

fabulous. The ^rar is said to have continued ten years, an 

have ended in the taking and burnir. g Troy 

Veiidean War. — A name given to a rierce and san- 



14 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: 

guinary struggles which took place in the west of France, after 
the proclamation of the first Republic. They arose by way of 
protest in favour of royalty, and were also directed against the 
civil constitution of the clergy. These wars continued from 1793 
to 1800. 

Vendetta. — An Italian word designating the act of arming 
against an enemy. The word is more particularly in use in 
Corsica, where one who has an injury to avenge is said to be in 
vendetta ; and he warns his enemy that, at the expiration of a 
certain number of days, he will seek his life. From this moment, 
the two champions are on their guard, striving to accomplish 
each other's death, but with sufficient prudence to avoid rendering 
themselves amenable to the law. The war is conducted with 
extreme punctilio, and rarely descends to stratagem. The 
Corsican in vendetta regards the redressing of his wrong- 
as the sole object, of his life; and where the injury escapes 
punishment for any length of time, or is not adequately atoned 
for, the office of avenger descends from father to son, and from 
generation to generation. 

Vinegar Hill, Battle of. — Fought June 21, 1798, between the 
Irish rebels and the British troops. The former were defeated^ 
utterly routed, and sustained great loss. 

Walcheren Expedition. — A disastrous affair which took 
place between July and December, 1809, and which cost the 
British nearly 50,000 soldiers. This expedition was sent to the 
coast of Holland, with a view of creating a diversion in favour 
of Austria, who was then at war with France. This is regarded 
as one of the most signal failures that ever dimmed the lustre of 
the British arms. A magnificent armament left the English 
shores ; much was naturally expected of it, but it performed next 
to nothing. The fortress of Flushing was taken, and the island 
of Walcheren subdued, but the unhealthiness of the climate 
forced the conquerors to evacuate these acquisitions ; not, how- 
ever, before death and disease had worked the ruin of the entire 
force. 



CONSPIRACIES, PLOTS, REVOLTS, ETC. 15 



SECTION II. 

CONSPIRACIES, PLOTS, REVOLTS, RIOTS, TUMULTS, 
INSURRECTIONS, etc. 

Babington's Conspiracy. — A project to assassinate Queen 
Elizabeth, and place Mary Queen of Scots on the throne of 
England, September, 1586. This conspiracy was set on foot by 
Anthony Babington, a gentleman of Derbyshire, who had con- 
ceived a romantic attachment for the unfortunate Mary, and who 
counted upon becoming her husband in the event of success. 
He was further instigated by Ballard, a Romish priest, and others 
of the Roman Catholic party. The affair was brought to light by 
one of the conspirators, the chief of whom were put to death. 
This plot was the immediate pretext for the execution of Queen 
Mary. 

Bangor Controversy. — A disagreement respecting the Ha- 
noverian succession, between Bishops Sharpe and Shirley on be- 
half of the Non-jurors, and Bishop Hoadley, of Bangor, against 
them. The controversy arose out of a sermon preached by 
Bishop Hoadley, March 31, 1717, on the subject of the civil esta- 
lishment of the Church, from the text, " My kingdom is not of 
this world." The consequence of this dispute was, that the con- 
vocation of the clergy, as previously constituted, was interdicted. 

Barons, Eevolt of the.— Caused by Henry the Third, in- 
fringing the provisions of the recently secured Magna Charta; 
also by his preferring foreign favourites to high offices of state. 
The barons were headed by Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester ; 
they met at Oxford and proposed terms to the king, which he 
rejected. A battle was fought at Lewes, May 14, 1264, in which 
the royalists were defeated, and the king made prisoner. Henry 
the Third subsequently escaped. The battle of Evesham was 



16 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

fought August 4, 1205. The barons were defeated, and Leicester 
fell. Finally, the barons returned to their allegiance in 1268, and 
the charter was again confirmed. 

Barricades. — A rude kind of defence composed of overturned 
vehicles, casks, and other bulky objects, with which the people 
of Paris have, upon the occasion of popular disturbances, ob- 
structed the public thoroughfares. The insurgents, posting 
themselves behind the barricades, are enabled to assault the 
military and at the same time protect themselves. This mode of 
street warfare Avas especially put in practice during the revolu- 
tions of 1880 and 1848 — in the latter instance, the Archbishop 
of Paris being killed, while attempting to act the part of me- 
diator. 

Blood's Conspiracy.— Colonel Blood, who had served in the 
army in Ireland, imagined that he had certain claims upon the 
Government ; f these he pressed upon the notice of the Duke 
of Ormond, who, however, refused to take cognizance of them. 
To avenge this supposed neglect, Blood and his confederates 
seized the Duke of Ormond in his coach, and conveyed him to 
Tyburn, with the intention of hanging him ; but they were 
baulked in their intention by several of the Duke's friends, who 
had received notice of the outrage, and rescued him, December 4, 
1660. Blood, subsequently conceived the design of stealing 
the crown and royal jewels ; these he absolutely contrived to 
make olY with, and the booty was wrested from him after a 
severe struggle, May 9, 1661. Notwithstanding these crimes, 
he afterwards received a pension of £500 a year from Charles 
the Second. Ultimately, he was imprisoned for a' libel on the 
Duke of Buckingham, and died in prison, 1680. 

Bonnet, War of the. — The name given to a long and ridi- 
culous contention among the peers of the French Parliament, at 
the end of the reign of Louis the Fourteenth, as to whether the 
president, when consulting the members, ought to uncover. 

Boston " Tea Party." — The denomination of a party in Boston, 
America, with whom originated the resistance to the British 
rule. In 1767, the English Government imposed a duty upon 
tea imported into America. The Americans regarded this as 



CONSPIRACIES, PLOTS, REVOLTS, ETC. 17 

an infringement of their liberty, and determined not only fco 
resist the tax, but to discontinue the use of British commodities. 
In pursuance of this resolution, several hundred chests of tea, 
then lying in ships in the port, wore tin-own into the sea. The 
port of Boston was in consequence shut up by the English Par- 
liament, and proscribed until restitution should be made to the 
East [ndia Company, for the tea which had been destroyed. In 
1775, the place was besieged, and a battle was fought, in wliieli 
the Bostonians were defeated. 

Bounty, Mutiny of the.— The "Bounty" was an English 
ship returning from Otaheite, in 1789, commanded by Captain 
Bligh, who had the reputation of being a very arbitrary officer. 
The captain, with nineteen of his men, and a very small supply 

of provisions, were put into a Small boat, and in the open sea, by 
the mutineers. In this frail vessel a perilous voyage was made 
of upwards of '1000 miles, and Captain lili^li ultimately reaehed 
England in safety. En 1702, three of the mutineers wore 
executed. Ten of them settled at Piteairn's Island, in the Pacific 
Ocean, and from these; men the island has been since colonized. 
They remained unknown for a period of twenty-five years, and 
were accidentally discovered by a British vessel in 1814. 

Bristol Riots. — Kiot at Bristol, October 25, 1793, on account 
of the imposition of an unpopular toll. A. second riot, com 
mencing October 29, 1831, and continuing during the two 
following days. At this period the cause of Reform was being 
agitated among the people; and Sir Charles Wetherell, a 
strenuous opponent of the Reform Hill, was recorder of the city. 
Upon fin; n;can\<ti- making his entrance into Bristol, attended by 
a targe civil force, for the purpose of opening the sessions, the 
mob arose, and the work of destruction commenced, for three 
days, the city was entirely in the hands of the rioters. House* 
were burned and destroyed ; merchants' stores plundered ; 
prisons broken into, and many persons killed. A number of tin; 
rioters were taken and tried, four of whom were executed and 
twenty-two transported. Colonel Brereton, who commanded the 
troops called out upon the occasion, committed suicide, pending 
an inquiry into his conduct by court-martial. 



18 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Catiline Conspiracy. — In the year 65 e.g., Lucius Sergius 
Catilina, a patrician of Rome, having squandered his substance in 
riotous living, conceived the project of a conspiracy to repair his 
broken fortunes. The intention was, to murder Cicero and the 
Senate ; invest the Capitol ; set fire to the city ; and seize upon 
the government treasures. In this wild and sanguinary scheme, 
the chief conspirator was to receive the assistance of many illus- 
trious Romans, bankrupt and unprincipled as himself. The design 
was, however, frustrated by one of the conspirators, who was in 
love with Fulvia, imparting to her the secret, which she in her 
turn made known to the consul. Cicero, having thus gained 
full information of the whole affair, laid the particulars before 
the Senate, and publicly denounced the author of it. Catilina 
succeeded in making his escape from Rome, but was afterwards 
slain at the head of his insurgent troops, with which he attempted 
to enter the city 62 B.C. Others of the conspirators were put to 
death ; while Cicero, for the part he had taken, received from the 
people every mark of honour and applause. 

Cato Street Conspiracy. — An insane plot formed by a band 
of low and unprincipled men, with the view of assassinating 
the cabinet ministers, and overthrowing the Government. The 
conspirators, Thistlewood, Ings, Davidson, and others, assembled 
at a house in Cato Street, London, with the intention of sallying 
out and executing their design. The conspiracy was discovered 
in time to prevent any mischief being done, and the conspirators 
were executed, May, 1820. 

Chartist Riots. — A series of disturbances, extending over 
several years, took place in many parts of England among 
the Chartists. The most notorious was that on April 10, 1848, 
when various meetings, to the aggregate of 200,000 men, were 
projected to assemble in the outskirts of London, and march 
thence in a body to the Houses of Parliament for the purpose of 
presenting their petition. The active measures taken by the 
Government defeated the intended demonstration. The Bank 
of England and other public establishments were fortified, 
soldiers and artillery were posted in various parts of the metro- 
polis, and a body of 150,000 .special constables, composed of all 



CONSPIRACIES, PLOTS, REVOLTS, ETC. 19 

ranks of the people, were sworn in. The consequence was, that a 
small number only of the malcontents found their way to the 
appointed place of meeting. The whole affair became an utter 
failure ; and from that day the proceedings of the Chartists ceased 
to have any significance. 

Coril-law Riots.— In 1815, the high price of provisions — and 
especially bread — produced serious disturbances among the 
people of England. It was felt that this distress was greatly 
aggravated by the prohibitions upon foreign corn ; and while a 
bill in reference to the importation of corn was being discussed 
in Parliament, mobs assembled in London and other places, and 
committed great destruction to property. 

Despard's Conspiracy.— *A design, set on foot by Colonel 
Despard, a native of Ireland, to lay violent hands upon the person 
of King George the Third, on the occasion of his opening Parlia- 
ment ; to put him to death, and to revolutionise the government. 
The conspiracy was detected, Nov. 16, 1802 ; and Despard, toge- 
ther with six of his accomplices, were hanged for the crime. 

Georges' Conspiracy. — A conspiracy against the life of Bona- 
parte, discovered February, 1804, and in which were con- 
cerned Generals Moreau and Pichegru, and Georges Cadoudal, 
popularly known as Georges. The object was to assassinate 
Bonaparte, and to restore Louis the Eighteenth to his dominions. 
Some of the conspirators suffered death, others were imprisoned. 
Pichegru was found strangled in his cell; but Moreau was 
permitted to escape from France to America. 

Gordon Riots. — In 1780, Parliament having passed an act 
in favour of the Roman Catholics, the Protestants became greatly 
excited. At this juncture, Lord George Gordon, member of Par- 
liament, and brother to the Duke of Gordon, was induced to 
become the tool of a faction, and to place himself at the head of 
a mob, styling itself the Protestant Association. Under the pre- 
tence of defending the Protestant religion against the encroach- 
ments of the Papists, the rioters marched through London, and 
indulged in every sort of excess. The houses and chapels of the 
Catholics were destroyed ; Newgate and other prisons were 
broken open, and 350 persons lost their lives. The disturbance 



20 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: 

was at length quelled by a military force ; many of the rioters 
were taken prisoners and afterwards executed. Lord George 
Gordon underwent a trial, but was acquitted. 

Gowrie's Plot. — A design entertained by Kuthven, earl of 
Gowrie, to take aAvay the life of James the First (then James 
the Sixth of Scotland), in the year 1596. The assassination 
was to have taken place in the town of Perth, and the king 
narrowly escaped. 

Gunpowder Plot. — A plot concocted against James the First 
of England, and the Parliament, on the 5th of November, 
1G05. This scheme was projected by certain discontented 
Eoman Catholics, who imagined that they could arrest the 
progress of Protestantism , and restore the Popish religion to 
the country, by destroying at one blow the king and the most 
important persons of the realm. To effect this object, a vault 
beneath the House of Lords was hired by the conspirators, 
and in it were placed thirty- six barrels of gunpowder, which 
were to be fired at the moment that the king and the Lords 
were assembled. The night previous to the intended perpetration 
of the plot, Lord Monteagle received a letter from an unknown 
hand, warning him not to attend in his place in Parliament on 
the following day. This letter was shown to the king ; suspicions 
were aroused, the vaults beneath the Houses of Parliament 
were searched, and there the barrels of gunpowder were 
discovered, and Guido or Guy Fawkes, a hireling of the 
conspirators, was detected in the act of making his final 
arrangements for the firing of the train. Fawkes, and several 
others of the conspirators were executed, while the remainder 
were killed in the attempt to take them prisoners. 

Holland's Mol). — A set of tumultuous and dissolute characters, 
whose chief occupation consisted in ringing and knocking at the 
doors of houses, with shouts and imprecations, and afterwards 
assaulting the inmates. The last time they appeared as an orga- 
nized mob was in 1822. The name is supposed to be derived 
from the Holland family, through whose interest Bartholomew 
Fair, held annually in Smithfield, was continued in opposition to 
the party who endeavoured to suppress it 



CONSPIRACIES, PLOTS, REVOLTS, ETC. 21 

Hungarian Insurrection. — The continued aggressions made 
by Austria upon the liberties of the Hungarians, caused the 
latter to rise against their oppressors in 1848 ; a provisional go- 
vernment was appointed under Kossuth, and all were denounced 
as traitors who acknowledged the Emperor of Austria as King of 
Hungary. Several engagements took place between the Hun- 
garians and the Austrians ; the latter, at length, called Russia to 
their aid, and after a severe struggle, the united armies of the two 
countries succeeded in utterly defeating the Hungarians, Aug. 9, 
1849. 

Irish Rebellion. — Under this designation several disturbances 
have taken place from time to time. The most memorable 
event of this nature broke out May 4th, 1798 ; and was not sup- 
pressed until the year following. This movement was prompted 
by the French Revolution, and aid was promised from France ; 
which promise, however, resulted in the landing of one thousand 
men, when the insurrection was on the wane. After scenes of the 
greatest atrocity and horror had been perpetrated from one end 
of the kingdom to the other, the rebellion was at length quelled. 
It is estimated that, in this attempt, thirty thousand lives were 
sacrificed, and property to the value of £2,000,000 destroyed. 

Jack Cade's Insurrection. — Jack Cade, an Irishman, assumed 
the name of John Mortimer, a descendant of Lionel, Duke of 
Clarence, third son of Edward the Third ; he headed an insurrec- 
tion in Kent, marched into London, and put to death the Lord 
Treasurer, Lord Saye, and other persons of eminence. A battle 
was fought, in which the insurgents were defeated, and they 
received a general pardon. Cade made his escape, and endea- 
voured to conceal himself in a garden in Kent, where he was 
discovered and slain, July, 1450. 

Mar's Rebellion. — In 1715, the claim of the Young Pre- 
tender, son of James the Second, was espoused by several 
persons of consideration in Scotland and England. Among 
others, the Earl of Mar enlisted himself in the cause of the 
Stuart exile, and soon succeeded in getting together a large 
army. A battle was fought at Preston, Lancashire, between 
the army of George the First, and the forces of the Pretender, 



THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 



which resulted in the total defeat of the latter. The Pretender 
fled to France ; many of his adherents Avere punished or put 
to death : the Earl of Mar being beheaded on Tower Hill. 

Massaniello's Insurrection. — Thomas Aniello Avas a fisher- 
man of Naples, and for brevity was called Massaniello. He 
came to Naples to sell fish and vegetables. A neAvtax was put 
upon fruit and vegetables, the 7th of July, 1647, and Massaniello, 
instead of submitting to the impost, called upon the people to re- 
volt. An insurrection broke out ; Massaniello was recognised 
as supreme chief, and succeeded in securing to the people all 
their privileges. This done, he relapsed into a species of in- 
sanity, and committed several follies. After a brief career, he 
Avas assassinated in the twenty-fourth year of his age. 

Meal-Til]} Plot. — A conspiracy, either real or pretended, 
which Avas alleged to exist in 1679 against the Duke of York, 
afterwards James the Second. It was so called, because the 
papers in connection with this affair were found concealed in 
a meal-tub, in the house of a woman with whom one of the 
conspirators cohabited. These papers implicated several 
Protestant noblemen, and endeavoured to show that they were 
bent on preventing the accession of James to the croAvn. 
Dangerfield, the concoctor or fabricator of the plot, was imprisoned 
and publicly Avhipped, and on the last of these occasions, one 
of his eyes was struck out, which caused his death. 

Monmouth's Bebellion. — A movement headed by the Duke 
of Monmouth, natural son of Charles the Second, with the 
vieAv of wresting the crown of England from William and Mary, 
on whom it had been recently bestowed. In 1685, a battle was 
fought at Sedgmoor, terminating in the defeat of Monmouth, who 
was taken prisoner, and afterwards executed Avith several of his 
adherents. 

Newport Riots. — On the 3rd of November, 1839, a large 
body of political agitators, known as Chartists, assembled at New- 
port, Monmouthshire, and committed serious depredations. The 
mob and the soldiery being brought into conflict, about twenty of 
the rioters were killed, and several others wounded. Frost, and 
the other ringleaders in this affair were transported, and their 



CONSPIRACIES, PLOTS, REVOLTS, ETC. 



23 



accomplices were punished with various terms of imprison- 
ment. 

Nore, Mntiliy at the.— Broke out in 1797, in a portion of 
the English fleet lying at the Nore. The grievance was stated to 
be the insufficient pay received by the common seamen, and the 
unfair distribution of prize-money. The mutineers were further 
encouraged in their disaffection, by the fact of a similar outbreak 
having recently occurred at Portsmouth, where the demands 
of the men were complied with. In this case, however, the 
authorities determined upon adopting severer measures ; they 
resolved upon reducing the fleet to submission, and threatened 
to employ force. After a while, the mutineers began to dis- 
agree among themselves ; obedience soon followed ; Parker, 
the ringleader, and several of his accomplices were given up and 
executed, while more liberal terms were granted by the Govern- 
ment to the seamen at large. 

0, P. Eiots. — A disturbance, which dated its commence- 
ment from the re-opening of Covent-Garclen Theatre, London, 
Sept. 18, 1809. The management had thought proper to intro- 
duce increased prices of admission ; at which the play-going 
public took umbrage, and clamoured for a return to the Old Prices 
(O. P.) The contest continued for nearly three months ; every 
night during which interval the theatre was in a state of con- 
tinuous uproar. The manager and the actors were jeered, hissed, 
and frequently pelted by the audience ; speeches were made from 
different parts of the house, placards of an insulting and personal 
character were every now and then exhibited from the boxes or 
galleries, and great injury was done to the property. The affair 
terminated on the 10th of December, the same year, by the 
management yielding to the demand made. 

Oates's Plot.— Titus Gates, a man of profligate character, 
and who had been educated for the Church, invented what he 
termed a Popish plot, declaring that several Catholic noblemen 
had conspired to assassinate the king, Charles the Second, and to 
place his brother the Duke of York on the throne. Upon his 
unsupported evidence, several Eoman Catholics in high position 
were committed to the Tower, some of whom were executed, 



24 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-TOST : 

including the venerable Lord Stafford. Gates was afterwards 
convicted of perjury; whipped, pilloried, and sentenced to be 
imprisoned. On the accession of William and Mary, he was 
pardoned, and received a pension for life : died 1705. 

Perkin Warbeck's Insurrection. — In 1492, Perkin "Warbeck 
set himself up as pretender to the crown of England, on the 
plea that he was Eichard, Duke of York, who was said to have 
been smothered in the Tower during a previous reign. His claim 
was recognised by some of the nobility ; he was crowned at 
Dublin as Richard the Fourth, and married the daughter of Lord 
Huntley. He unsuccessfully opposed himself to the king's forces, 
was taken prisoner, and confined to the Tower, where he 
engaged in further conspiracies, and was hanged at Tyburn, 1499. 

Peterloo Massacre. — A meeting of reformers was convened 
at Manchester, August 16, 1819. A piece of ground known 
as St. Peter's Field Avas chosen for this demonstration, and 
upwards of 60,000 persons were present, including men, women, 
and children. In the midst of the proceedings, a troop of 
yeomanry cavalry and a regiment of hussars charged upon the 
mob, and a scene of indescribable terror and confusion ensued. 
Numbers were cut down or trampled under the horses' feet, 
while others gave way from the pressure of the crowd. Eleyen 
persons were killed, and 400 wounded. 

Porteous Mob. — A smuggler was to have been hanged at 
Edinburgh, on April 14, 1736, his crime being the rescue of a 
companion from the hands of the soldiery. The crowd sympa- 
thized with the contrabandists, and assaulted the guard. The officer 
in charge, Captain Porteous, ordered his men to fire on the people, 
when seventeen persons were killed or wounded. Porteous was 
tried and found guilty of murder, but was reprieved, with the 
evident design of sparing his life. The people, enraged at this 
display of clemency, broke into the prison, dragged the captain 
forth, and hanged him on a sign-post in defiance of the military 
and the authorities. The most remarkable circumstance in con- 
nection with this affair is, that although large rewards were 
offered, no individual concerned in the deed was ever discovered. 

Eebecca Eiots. — In 1843, the rural population of Carmar- 



CONSPIKACIES, PLOTS, REVOLTS, ETC. 25 

thenshire, and some of the neighbouring "Welsh counties, com- 
bined for the purpose of resisting the Turnpike tolls, and gave to 
themselves the name of " Kebecca and her daughters." With 
this rising, the removal of turnpike gates and the destruction of 
toll-houses became general. The rioters also attacked work- 
houses and unions, and demolished the furniture. They were 
finally dispersed by the military, and several of the ringleaders 
punished. The title of " Rebecca and her daughters " is derived 
from the twenty-second chapter of Genesis, in which the 
children of Eebecca are promised possession of the " gates of their 
enemies." 

Rebellion, the Great. — A common historical denomination for 
the revolt of the Long Parliament against the authority of Charles 
the First. 

Repeal Agitation. — -A movement in Ireland, which existed for 
many years, having for its object the repeal of the Union be- 
tween that country and England. Daniel O'Connell was the re- 
cognised head of this agitation ; and under his auspices, monster 
meetings were held from time to time ; and a permanent fund 
was raised by subscriptions from among the people to defray the 
expenses of the organization. In 1844, O'Connell and those con- 
cerned with him were tried and condemned for sedition ; the sen- 
tence, however, being afterwards reversed. After the death of 
O'Connell, the Eepeal agitation met with but slender support, 
and ultimately died out. 

devolution, The Glorious. — An epithet emphatically given to 
that change of dynasty and government which was brought 
about in England in 1688, by deposing James the Second, and 
placing William the Third on the throne in his stead. 

Rye House Plot. — A plot, which many aver to be pre- 
tended ; the supposed object being to secure the succession 
of the Duke of Monmouth to the throne in place of the Duke 
of York. The place where the conspirators were alleged to 
have their meeting, was called the Rye House, a farm which 
lay on the road to Newmarket, and from which the conspirators 
were to rally out and assassinate the king and his brother as 
they returned to town. A fire happening, however, in the 



26 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

king's house at Newmarket, compelled the Court to return 
to London sooner than intended, thereby frustrating the designs 
of the conspirators, if any such existed. Upon this charge, 
Lord William Russell and Algernon Sydney were put to death, 
and Hampden was fined £40,000. 

St. Domingo, Rising of.— St. Domingo, one of the largest 
West India islands, was up to the period of the first French 
revolution under the French rule. The cruel laws by which they 
were governed, and the circumstance of the revolution becoming 
known, emboldened the natives to strike for their own inde- 
pendence. In 1791 the rising commenced, and was succeeded by 
several years of conflict, bloodshed, famine, and disease. After a 
terrible struggle, the island was abandoned. Toussaint l'Ouver- 
ture, a man of colour, who had guided the movements of the 
insurgents throughout, was chosen Governor-General. In 1803, 
a fresh insurrection broke out ; the previous scenes of anarchy 
were renewed, and the island, shifting from one kind of rule to 
another, remained in an unsettled state for several years. St. 
Domingo has been recently annexed to Spain. 

Sepoy Revolt. — In January, 1857, the Enfield rifle was 
introduced among the native troops of India, and with it 
greased cartridges were served out. These were objected to 
from religious scruples, and were immediately discontinued. 
The spirit of disaffection had, however, been roused, and open 
mutiny broke out in the ranks. Regiment after regiment 
revolted — the Sepoys shooting their officers, murdering many of 
the inhabitants, and finally marching to Delhi, and blowing up 
the garrison there. Mairy other atrocities followed ; by the 
end of June 50,000 Sepoys had deserted, and the whole native 
army was in a state of insurrection. The revolt was at length 
quelled by Sir Colin Campbell, now Lord Clyde, in 1858, and the 
rebel Sepoys were disarmed, expelled,, and otherwise punished. 

Servian Rebellion. — Servia is a province of European Turkey, 
with the title of principality ; the Servians are of Slavonic 
origin, and consequently of the same race as the Russians. 
In 1737 and in 1806, they arose in rebellion against their masters, 
the Turks, and they at length succeeded in establishing an in- 
dependent principality, tributary only to the Porte. 



CONSPIRACIES, PLOTS, REVOLTS, ETC. 27 

Spa Fields Eiot. — In 1816, meetings were held in Spa 
Fields, situated in the north of London, to petition the Prince 
Regent to take cognizance of the distress of the labouring and 
manufacturing classes. These proceedings were diverted by the 
appearance of a band of desperadoes who placed themselves at 
the head of the crowd and marched into the city. In their pro- 
gress, several gunsmiths' shops were broken into and plundered ; 
much injury was done, and one person was seriously wounded. 
At length, the military succeeded in quelling the disturbances. 
Several of the rioters were apprehended, and the remainder 
dispersed. 

Tailors' Riot. — A disturbance, which took place at the Hay- 
market Theatre, London, August 15, 1805. Mr. Dowton, a 
comedian, advertised for his benefit a piece called The Tailors, a 
Tragedy for Warm Weather. Upon this announcement being 
made public, the management received threatening letters, to the 
effect that, if the piece were attempted to be performed, 17,000 
tailors would attend to oppose it. Notwithstanding these threats, 
the play was retained in the bills. On the night of the perform- 
ance, the house was crowded ; and no sooner had the curtain 
drawn up, than the disturbance commenced. The performers 
were prevented proceeding with their parts by the incessant 
noise ; knives, scissors, and other missiles were thrown upon the 
stage, and the audience threatened to tear up the benches. In 
the midst of this scene a magistrate was sent for, who posted a 
number of special constables in and about the house, and had a 
numerous body of military stationed in the Haymarket. The 
performance then proceeded, but still amidst uproar and confu- 
sion ; between sixty and seventy persons were taken into cus- 
tody ; but in spite of these interruptions the obnoxious piece was 
played out, and terminated half an hour after midnight. The 
persons who were secured — and who, with one exception, were all 
tailors — were fined or held to bail. 

Waller's Plot.— During the existence of the Commonwealth in 
England, a number of persons associated themselves together 
with a view of restoring Charles the Second to his kingdom. 
The plan was said to be, to destroy the Parliament and deliver up 
the city of London to the King. Mr. Waller being the most con- 



28 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

spicuous and considerable person in this affair, it was designated 
Waller's Plot. 

Wat Tyler's Insurrection.— An impost known as the poll- 
tax was levied in England in 1379, and soon became extremely 
unpopular among the people. Wat Tyler, Jack Straw, and others 
incited a rising among the populace, and at the head of 100,000 
men marched into London in open revolt. They murdered the 
Archbishop of Canterbury, and the King's Treasurer, broke open 
prisons, burned palaces, and destroyed and plundered in every 
direction. They were appeased by the timely concessions of the 
king, Eichard the Second, but Wat Tyler was killed by Sir 
William Walworth, Lord Mayor of London, and upon the assem- 
bling of Parliament, 280 of the rebels were executed as traitors. 

Wood's Halfpence. — A tumult took place in Ireland, in 1723, 
in consequence of a Mr. Wood having obtained a patent for coin- 
ing halfpence for circulation in Ireland. A great outcry was 
raised against this project, instigated by Dean Swift. The coin- 
age was denounced as base, and Wood was driven out of the 
kingdom. The halfpence were afterwards assayed in England, 
and were proved to be genuine. 



FACTIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES, ETC. 29 



SECTIOIT III. 



FACTIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES, SECRET SOCIETIES, 
CLIQUES, COTERIES, etc. 

Abhorrers and Petitioners.— Two great parties in opposition, 
in the time of Charles the Second. Abhorrers were attached to 
the Court, and were the supporters of passive obedience ; their 
abhorrence being those who endeavoured to encroach upon the 
royal prerogative — the Petitioners. 

Absolutists. — That political party which advocates the un- 
limited power of the sovereign, contrary to constitutional laws 
and government. In Roman Catholic countries the priests are 
largely mixed up with this party. 

Bonapartists. — Those who espouse the claims of the 
Bonaparte family in opposition to all others, in France and 
elsewhere. 

Cabal. — In a general sense, implies a faction or party plot- 
ting against the executive, or against the state. In English 
history, this term is applied to a noted council of the time 
of Charles the Second, from the initials of whose names the 
word cabal was formed : namely, Sir T. Clifford, Lord Ashley, 
the Duke of Buckingham, Lord Arlington, and the Duke of Lau- 
derdale. These five noblemen were accused of being pensioners 
in the pay of France, to betray the interests of their country. 

Camisards. — Derived from the French chemise, Languedoc 
camisa, a shirt ; and referring to the practice of wearing a shirt 
or blouse of white linen over the dress. The Camisards were a 
body of French Protestants, who, during the reign of Louis 
the Fourteenth, resented the rigour under which they suffered, 
and armed themselves in defence of their religion and lives. 



30 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

After endeavouring in vain to suppress them, the government 
treated with their chiefs, and they were, in 1704, induced to 
submit. 

Carbonari. — An Italian word, signifying charcoal-burners, 
and in history applied originally to the G-uelph conspirators, who, 
to escape the pursuit of the Ghibelins, took their way to the 
■ woods, and sought concealment in the cabins of the charcoal- 
burners. The name was adopted early in the present century by 
a powerful secret society in Italy, which aimed at the expulsion 
of foreigners, and the establishment of civil and religious liberty. 
The society was destroyed in 1819, and then found its way to 
France ; where, during the three following years, it became the 
mainspring of insurrectionary movements. The society was then 
dispersed by the severe laws enacted against it, and the chiefs 
afterwards established various other secret societies. 

Garlists. — In France, the name of the partisans of Charles 
the Tenth, after his deposition in 1830. In Spain, those who 
espoused the cause of Don Carlos in his claim to the Spanish 
throne in 1834, and the succeeding years. 

Cavaliers. — The adherents of the king during the civil wars 
in England, and the opponents of the Koundheads, or Par- 
liamentarians. The name was originally given to a number of 
gentlemen who formed themselves into a body-guard for the king 
in 1641. 

Communists. — An epithet designating the French Socialists, 
who held the doctrine that no one was justified in retaining 
a larger share of riches or possessions than another ; that social 
distinctions were prejudicial to the universal good, and that all 
men are equal. During the revolution of 1848, the Communists 
became a powerful political body in France, and exercised con- 
siderable influence in the overthrow of the government. 

Conservatives. — That party in politics, which aims at con- 
serving or keeping intact the old institutions of the country — up- 
holding the union of Church and State, and generally regarding 
new measures as mere innovations. Conservatives are conse- 
quently opposed to both Liberals and Eadicals. 

Cordeliers. — The name of a secret political party established 



FACTIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES, ETC. 



in Paris in 1790, and holding its sittings in the chapel of the 
convent of the Cordeliers. The president of this club was Danton, 
and it numbered among its members several of the most conspicu- 
ous revolutionary chiefs. 

Country Party v. Court Party.— The historical names for 
the two great contending parties in England, in the disputes 
between the king and the people, afterwards represented by 
Whig and Tory. 

Democrats (American).— That party inclining to all mea- 
sures tending to increase the free action of the individual citizens 
in each state, and of the separate states as distinct from the 
Union. 

Doctrinaires. — A name given in France to a political party 
which was formed subsequently to 1815, and which held the 
doctrine of the establishment and conservation of constitutional 
government, the due admixture of authority with liberty, the 
recognition of the royal prerogative, and of the representative 
system. In other words, a monarchy surrounded by republican 
institutions. 

Emigres. — The name given to natives of France who were 
opposed to the first revolution, and who left the kingdom in con- 
sequence. Numbers of them settled in England permanently ; 
others returned to France in 1801, at the invitation of Napoleon 
Bonaparte, who reinstated them in their possessions, and placed 
them under the protection of the government. 

Filibusters. — From the Spanish filibustero, a freebooter. This 
term was brought into common use in consequence of the 
expedition against Cuba, under Lopez, in 1851, to the members 
of which expedition it was applied. It has since been used to 
denote men bent upon desperate adventures, and who live by 
rapine and plunder. In another sense the term filibuster is 
applied to those who undertake foraging expeditions with the 
hope of acquiring dominion or booty. 

Free -Traders. — Those political economists who advocate 
the total remission of prohibitive duties, so as to render trading 
operations free to all countries, and, by thus encouraging com- 
petition, to lower the prices of articles, and to increase the powers 



32 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

. i 

oi* production. This party gained its greatest triumph by the 
repeal o( the Corn-laws, and has since extended its influence and 
operations by the gradual reduction or abolition of almost .-ill the 
duties upon foreign produce. 

Girondists. A celebrated party of the first French Revolution, 
composed principally of the deputies of the department o( the 
Gironde, in the legislative assembly. As revolutionists, they 
entertained moderate views, and were opposed to the atrocities 
which were committed in the name of liberty. These sentiments 
rendered them ultimately obnoxious to Robespierre and his asso- 
ciates, who succeeded at length in annihilating the party, by the 
guillotine or by proscription. 

Gnclplis and Glribelins. —The party-names of two contending 
factions which raged in Germany in the middle of the twelfth 
century, and which continued to agitate the Christian world for 
more than two centuries. U originated in a disputed claim to 
the empire of Germany. The Papal party of the German nobles, 
at the head of whom was Guelph, Puke of Bavaria; secured the 
election of Lothaire, Duke of Saxony. Ilis accession was op- 
posed by the other party of the German nobles ; and a battle was 
fought between them in L140, 'The imperial general was horn at 
the village of Heghibilin, and his soldiers were called Ghibelins. 
Hence the origin of the names: GuelpJ^ or partisans of the popes 
againsl the emperors, and Ghibelins ) orpartisans of the emperors 
againsl the popes. Guelph is the name o( the present royal 
family o\' England. 

Ha,ts and Caps. The name of a faction which existed in 
Sweden from L750 io 1770, between the adherents o\' royalty and 

those who were attached io the privileges of the senate. The 
former were denominated " Hats," the latter " Caps."' 

Illuminati. — The name of a secret order of society formerly 
existing in Germany, and some other parts of the Continent. 

Their ostensible object was the dissemination o( virtue and 

wisdom upon the puresl principles; bul their real motive is said 
io have been the undermining of all existing governments and 
religions, in order io establish what they considered a perfect 

system o( freedom and independence among mankind. 



PACTIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES, ETC. 33 

Jacobins.— A celebrated society, with whom originated the 
first French Revolution. It was originally named the Club 
Breton, was formed in 1780, and recognised in 1 71)0. The lirst 
Jacobins consisted of about forty members, men eminent in 
politics or Literature, who associated lor the purpose of discussing 
political and other matters. It afterwards included all the dis- 
tinguished republicans, and became very numerous. The term 
Jacobins was derived from the hall of the Jacobin friars at Paris, 
in which these meetings were held. 

Jacobites. — The name given to a party who remained true in 
their attachment to the" abdicated monarch, James the Second ; 
whose constant desire it was to restore James or his heirs to the 
government, and who invariably held that none but a Stuart 
could rightfully occupy the throne. 

Legitimists. — A name given in Prance since 1814, to the 
partisans of the elder branch of the Bourbon family, who, in 

1814, and again in 1830, were driven from the throne. The 

present representative is Henry, Due de Bordeaux, called Comte 
de Chambord. 

Levellers. — Under this style, some knots of persons ap- 
peared in England at the period of the French Revolution, their 
aim being to indoctrinate the people with republican ideas. 
Their influence was counteracted, however, by the organisation of 
several "Loyal Associations." 

Liberals. — Those politicians who advocate liberal measures for 
the government of the people ; opposed on the one hand to the 
exclusive views of the Conservatives, and on the other hand not 
caring to adopt the extreme sentiments of the Radicals. 

LOCO-FOCO. — The name by which the Democratic party 
is extensively distinguished throughout the United States of 
America. The origin of this term is as follows : — In [834 a, self- 
igniting match was invented in America, and was named " Loco- 
foco" the idea of this word being borrowed from "locomotive," 
or self-moving. These matches had a very extensive sale, and 
quickly came into general use. In 1835 Gideon Lee was nomi- 
nated as the Democratic candidate for Congress. This nomina- 
tion was violently opposed by the opposite party ; and in the 

C 



34 THE HISTOEICAL FINGER-POST : 

hall where the meeting was held a scene of indescribable noise 
and confusion ensued. In the midst of this tumult the gas-lights 
were extinguished ; but the opponents of Lee, either having had 
intimation of this course, or being accidentally provided with 
loco-foco matches, instantly re-lighted them, and, by the aid of 
their light, continued the business of the evening. The news- 
paper report of these proceedings dubbed the party having 
recourse to the matches loco-foco. The name was seized upon, 
and was soon given to the entire Democratic party. 

Lone Star Society. — Under this title a secret association 
was formed in 1851-2, in some of the southern states of the 
North American Union. The object was to extend the dominion 
of the United States over the whole of the western hemisphere, 
and the islands of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The acquisi- 
tion of Cuba and the Sandwich Islands was to be the first step 
in the movement. 

Luddites. — Under this name, large parties of men, chiefly 
unemployed artisans, committed outrages at Nottingham and 
elsewhere in 1811-12. The cause of this rising was the introduc- 
tion of machinery into the factories, which rendered less manual 
labour necessary ; and thus for the moment threw a number of 
hands out of employ. 

Manchester School,-— A name given to those politicians in 
England who advocate Free-trade, and who regard commerce as 
the most important part of political economy. Messrs. Cobden 
and Bright are the recognised exponents of this theory. 

ModeradOB- — The name given in Spain to the Conservative 
party, or those who oppose the increase of popular power. 

Mohocks. — The designation of a set of ruffians, who, in 1711, 
prowled about the streets of London during the night-time, 
assaulting, maiming, and disfiguring all with whom they came in 
contact. They were named after a tribe of North American 
savages, who were desperate and bloodthirsty in warfare. 

Mountain Party.' — A derisive appellation for that party 
in the French assembly during the time of the first Eevo- 
lution, who took their seats upon the highest benches in the 
hall, to the left of the president. They were the chiefs of the 



FACTIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES, ETC. 35 

Jacobins and Cordeliers, and were called also Montagnards. 
They made themselves chiefly conspicuous by their opposition to 
the Grir6ndists, and were the most powerful party until the down- 
fall of Robespierre. 

Hon-JliroiS. — The partisans of James the Second, who con- 
sidered that monarch as having been unjustly deposed, and who 
refused to take the oath of allegiance to his successors. Among 
this party were several persons of note, including seven bishops 
and many of the clergy. As a penalty for their extreme views, 
non-jurors were subjected to a double taxation, and were com- 
pelled to register their estates. 

Orangemen. — A party having its stronghold in Ireland, pro- 
fessing an ardent attachment to the Protestant religion, and 
violently opposed to the Roman Catholics. They have established 
in various parts of the country what are termed Orange lodges, 
for the enrolment and concentration of the members, and for the 
exhibition of anti-Catholic demonstrations. The existence of this 
society has occasioned much bitterness and ill-feeling, and several 
attempts have been made to limit or annul its operations. The 
term is derived from William, Prince of Orange, who is tradi- 
tionally regarded as the prime upholder of the constitution in 
Church and State. 

Parliamentarians. — The name of the party which espoused 
the cause of Parliament, in opposition to the unconstitutional 
aggression of Charles the First upon the rights and privileges of 
the representatives of the people. 

Peace Party. — In England, a party composed chiefly of 
Quakers, who hold war to be sinful, cruel, and unnecessary. To 
avoid war they propose, first, a system of non-intervention, so 
that one country shall not interfere in the quarrels of another ; 
and, secondly, they submit that, in the event of a misunder- 
standing, it shall be settled by arbitration instead of by an appeal 
to arms. The Peace Society was founded in 1816, and some 
members of it had an interview with the Emperor of Russia in 
1854, to urge upon him their peculiar views. Messrs. Bright 
and Cobden are its most eminent supporters. 

Peelites, — The followers of the policy of Sir Robert Peel, 
c 2 



36 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

when he first pledged himself to a revision of the then existing 
tariff. The majority of this party have been since absorbed by the 
Free-traders, or have returned to Conservatism, a few still re- 
maining who adhere to the policy of Peel as first enunciated ; 
namely, the pursuit of Free-trade under certain prohibitory 
conditions, and in a restrictive sense. 

Peep-o'-])ay Boys. — In Ireland, a lawless band who visited 
houses at break of day to rob them of arms. They made their 
appearance in July, 1784, and for a long time carried on their 
depredations to the terror of the country. 

Pope's Brass Band. — Applied in derision to the Irish 
Koman Catholic members of Parliament, who are incessantly 
urging upon the notice of the country the claims of the Pope 
and the Roman Catholics. 

Progressistas. — The Spanish term for that party which is in 
favour of progress and popular government. 

Protectionists. — The name of that political party which seeks 
to " protect " the interests of the English producers, especially 
the producers of corn, by levying high duties upon importations 
from other countries, and thus keeping foreign products at a 
higher price than our own. Since the abolition of the Corn- 
laws and other reductions of the tariff, this party has gradually 
dwindled away, and is now all but extinct. 

Pmd'-Hommes. — That is to say, prudent men, Under this 
denomination were known in France men of experience, in 
whom was vested the decision of certain affairs between masters 
and workmen. The association was instituted by Napoleon in 
1806, and was composed of nine members, five of whom were 
masters, and four head-workmen. All trade disputes are referred 
to this council, and its decision is regarded as final. 

Eadicals. — An epithet applied to the democratic party of 
England, who advocate the doing away with Church and State ; 
hold extreme views with regard to the civil and religious liberty 
of the people, and systematically attack what they deem the 
abuses of Government. The term Radical is derived from the 
Latin word radix, a root, and implies that those who adopt this 
epithet seek to bring about reform by striking at the root. 



FACTIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES, ETC. 37 

Red Tapists. — A derisive term, used to denote that class of 
officers of state and other persons in public employment who 
are addicted to routine and departmental etiquette, and who will 
not step out of the beaten track, however certain and great the 
benefit attending such a step. The term is used allusively to the 
red cape with which the various official documents arc supposed 
to be tied. 

Refugees. — An epithet applied to persons, who, from political 
or other causes, are obliged to quit their native country, and take 
refuge in another, as the refugees of Poland, Hungary, &c. 

Regicides. — The word regicide is understood, in general 
terms, as the murderer of a sovereign ruler ; and in this sense 
it is, by some writers, applied to those persons who were instru- 
mental in procuring the execution of Charles the First. 

Republicans (American). — The political party in America,, 
which avoids democratic extremes, and aims at strengthening 
the central government, so as to keep the component States of 
the Union as firmly bound together as possible. 

Ribbomnen. — During the years 1820 — 23 the distress in Ire- 
land was very great, and the poorer population were incessantly 
threatened with famine. The owners of estates, disliking to live 
in the midst of such distress, left the country and resided abroad ;. 
in the mean time they endeavoured to improve their estates by 
introducing Scotch and English farmers. But this attempt being 
considered by the already-famished peasantry as a prelude to 
ejectment, they engaged generally in secret societies, the object 
of which was to murder every new-comer, and every landlord or 
agent who was instrumental in introducing them. Hence the 
association of Ribbonmen, who were bound together by the most 
terrible oaths to execute the mandates of the lodges in fire-raising 
and murder. 

Ribbons, Blue and Green.— A faction which existed at Con- 
stantinople in the sixth century, and in which the rival emperors 
Justinian and Anastasius were concerned. Anastasius covertly 
espoused the cause of the Greens, while Justinian openly pro- 
tected the Blues. 
RouncOieads. — A term applied to the adherents of Croiri- 



38 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

well during the civil wars. It arose from such persons having 
their hair cut close and even with the edges of a round bowl, 
which was fitted to the head. 

loyalists. — Those who supported the royal cause in the 
contest between Charles the First and Oliver Cromwell. 

Sails Culottes. — A French term, signifying, literally, with- 
out breeches. At the earlier period of the French republic, 
it was applied to the more ardent of revolutionists by way of 
derision. Subsequently the epithet became identified with the 
most eminent of the republican generals and representatives. 

Secessionists. — Those parties which have severed them- 
selves from the United States of America, and seek to form an 
independent government of their own, as Confederate States. As 
the Secessionists reside for the most part in the southern states 
of America, the party is also designated collectively as the 
"South." 

Terrorists. — A name given to those persons who, in times 
of danger and difficulty, are ever ready to exaggerate national 
calamities, and whose very fears acting upon the weak-minded 
or the uninformed, are apt to bring about a panic. 

Tiers Etat. — " Third Estate." In France, a section of the 
constitution, represented by the inhabitants of cities, the holders 
of land, &c. Formerly, the nobility and clergy possessed the pro- 
perty of almost the whole country ; but by degrees the cities, and 
even the peasantry, rose to wealth and importance, and demanded 
a recognised position in the state ; this was granted them by 
Louis the Ninth, in 1252, and hence the name tiers etat. 

Tories. — This term is involved in some obscurity. The most 
generally received opinion is, that it is derived from the Irish 
word "toree," that is give me, which was the summons of 
surrender used by the banditti to whom the name was origin- 
ally applied. In the first instance, the term, in its political 
sense, referred to certain parties in Ireland who refused to 
submit to Cromwell ; afterwards, it attached to those who 
vindicated the divine right of kings, and held high notions 
of their prerogatives— in a word, the court party ; and more 
recently, it was synonymous with Conservative. 



FACTIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES, ETC. 39 

Trimmers. — A name formerly given to that class of politicians, 
who first leant to one side and then the other, taking care to 
adapt their sentiments and movements to the current opinion 
and the course of events. 

Ultramontane Party.— From the Latin ultra, beyond, montes, 
the mountains. The name given in France to that party which 
admits or defends the ecclesiastical power, as recognised by the 
Italians ; who, as viewed from France, are dwellers beyond -the 
Alps or mountains. 

United Irishmen.— A political society formed by G-rattan 
and others in 1795, holding secret meetings in Ireland, and 
seeking to counteract the effect of the Orange clubs. 

WlligS. — The origin of this term is differently stated by various 
authorities. By some it is said to be derived from the word 
whiggam-more, which the Highlanders applied to " saddle- 
bag thieves." Others identify it with the Scottish word whig,. 
the vernacular for sour whey, which was a common drink of the 
people. Another fanciful derivation is from the initials of the 
motto, " We hope in God," adopted by the Parliamentary party 
in the days of Cromwell. But, whatever the origin of the term r 
the political significance of Whig is, one who is opposed to the 
court and professes liberal sentiments. The Whig and Tory 
party first entered into opposition in 1649, and they were at their 
greatest height in 1704, and during the chief part of the reign 
of Queen Anne. 

White Boys. — A faction represented by bands of lawless men 
who committed great excesses in Ireland in 1761, and again 
in 1786-7. They wore their shirts outside their dresses, whence 
their name. 

Yoioig England. — An offshoot of the Conservative party; 
which violently opposed the introduction of liberal measures, and 
endeavoured to impede the march of progress. They were 
especially conspicuous by their desire, manifested and expressed, 
to return to the feudalism and aristocratic exclusiveness which 
prevailed in England, in former times. The impracticable and 
unpopular views, advocated by this party, soon rendered its 
position untenable, and cut short its existence. Most of the 



40 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST 



members of the House of Commons allied to the Young England 
interest, wore white waistcoats as a sort of distinctive badge ; it 
is thus frequently alluded to as the " White Waistcoat Party." 

Young Ireland. — The political party in Ireland who, on the 
death of Daniel O'Connell, constituted themselves the representa- 
tives of the Eepeal agitation. Several of the foremost of these, 
from the violent measures which they adopted, were pro- 
secuted by Government, and imprisoned, transported, and 
otherwise punished. 

Young Italy. — A revolutionary party, having for its object 
the restoration of Italian freedom. It sprang up in 1832, in 
Piedmont, under the auspices of a number of Genoese youths, 
headed by Joseph Mazzini, a young Genoese lawyer. 



DYNASTIES, ROYAL HOUSES, ETC. 41 



SEGTIOU IV. 

DYNASTIES, ROYAL HOUSES, NOBLE AND 
ILLUSTRIOUS FAMILIES, etc. 

Borgliese. — A Roman family, originally of Sienne, occupy- 
ing, from the middle of the fifteenth century, the chief places 
in the Pontifical State. It has also been distinguished by its 
enormous riches, and its munificent patronage of the fine arts. 

Bourbon Family. — A royal family, formerly very powerful, 
members of which were occupants of the throne of France, Spain, 
and Naples. The following is the origin of the Bourbons : — 
Henry, Prince of Beam, afterwards Henry the Fourth, was born 
December 13th, 1553, and was the immediate heir of the Crown 
of France, on the possible extinction of the House of Valois, in 
the person of the reigning monarch and his younger brother, the 
Dukes of Anjou and Alcncon. The latter died, 1584 ; and. the 
former, Henry the Third, being assassinated in 1859, the Prince 
of Beam then ascended the throne as Henry the Fourth. He 
was the son of Anthony de Bourbon, Duke of Vendomc, and 
of Jane d'Albert, Queen of Navarre. Anthony was descended 
from Robert, sixth son of St. Louis, the ninth of that name. 
Robert was born in 125G, married Beatrice of Burgundy, the 
daughter of Agnes, heiress of the House of Bourbon ; and with 
that title was created duke and peer of France. 

Broglie.— A distinguished family in French history, originally 
of Piedmont. The first count served with distinction in the wars 
of Louis the Fourteenth, and the last of that name was many 
times minister under Louis Philippe. 

Brunswick, House of. — Owes its origin to Azo, the fourth 
of the family of Este, son of Hugo the Third, Marquis of Fcr- 
rara, in Italy. About 040 he married Cunegonde, heiress to 
Gruelph the Third, Duke of Bavaria, In 1071 a Griielph obtained 



42 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

tlie Duchy of Brunswick ; his great-grandson, Henry the Lion, 
married Matilda, eldest daughter of King Henry the Second of 
England. In 1235, the grand Son of Henry the Lion, Otho, 
became the first Duke of Brunswick-Lunenburg, and from him 
all the succeeding dukes of this family have descended. The 
House of Brunswick has since then divided into several branches, 
from one of which sprang the Elector of Hanover and the pre- 
sent royal family of England. 

Capet, House of. — The third dynasty of the kings of France, 
so named from the founder, Hugh Capet, who was acknow- 
ledged king in an assembly of nobles, 987. The name is pro- 
bably derived from chappatus, the bearer of a cape or hood, 
the ancestors of Capet being abbots ; the second King, Robert, 
sang the vespers clothed in a cappa ; the ancient standard of the 
kings was the Cape of St. Martin. 

Caracci. — A family of celebrated Italian painters, and founders 
of the Bolognese school of painting. They flourished at the end 
of the sixteenth 'and the beginning of the seventeenth century. 

Carlovingiail Line. — The name given to the kings of France 
of the second race, who had their origin from Pepin the Short, 
and the name from Charlemagne. There were fourteen kings of 
this race, commencing in 752, and ending in 987. 

Cenci. — A Roman family, the members of which were noted for 
their wealth, crimes, and misfortunes, of whom the most re- 
markable are the following : — Francesco, who plunged into the 
lowest depths of infamy, and was onlysaved from an ignominious 
end by his gold, with which, he corrupted the judges. He had 
four sons and one daughter, the celebrated Beatrice, who, in 
concert with two of her brothers, and Lucretia, her mother, 
accomplished the death of Francesco, the hated Grand Duke of 
Tuscany. Accused and found guilty of the murder, all four 
perished on the scaffold. The event made a profound impression 
on the people of Rome ; for many ages the name of Beatrice 
Cenci was preserved in popular airs, and the subject has been 
a favourite one with painters and dramatists. 

Coloima. — An ancient and illustrious family of Rome which 
furnished many members famous for learning, military prowess, 
and ecclesiastical influence. 



DYNASTIES, ROYAL HOUSES, ETC. 43 

Contarini. — >A celebrated Venetian family, and one of the 
twelve of the most ancient called apostolic. It has given eight 
doges to the republic. 

Daudini. — An eminent family in Italy in connection with 
literature and the fine arts. Its members flourished from 1580 
to 1712. 

Bandolo. — An illustrious Venetian family which has given 
four doges to the republic.. Its origin may be traced back to 
the Romans. 

DolgorouH. — A line of Russian princes, who possessed 
anciently a part of the Ukraine ; it dates its origin from St. 
Vladimir and Rurik. 

Boria. — One of the most noble and powerful families of 
Genoa ; the members of which occupied the most distinguished 
posts from the twelfth to the nineteenth centuries. The last of 
the Dorias died in 1839, leaving only a daughter. 

Douglas. — An ancient Scotch family, illustrious in all the 
wars between Scotland and England. The first of the name 
was companion in arms of Wallace, and the last was Chancellor 
of Mary Stuart, and was condemned to death for being con- 
cerned in the murder of Darnley, 1581. 

Dudley. — A celebrated English family, the first member 
of which was the favourite of Henry the Seventh. Robert 
Dudley, Earl of Leicester, was the favourite of Queen Elizabeth. 
His son, Robert, was Chamberlain of the Archduchess of Austria, 
and duke of the Holy Empire. 

Este. — An ancient and illustrious house of Italy, which de- 
rived its name from the town of Este, in Venetian Lombardy. 
This house has produced a number of celebrated persons, and 
the arms of the family are quartered with those of France and 
Germany. 

Eamese. — A celebrated Italian family, whose members were 
made the recipients of honours and riches from the thirteenth 
century downwards. The family is also illustrious for the pro- 
tection which it has accorded to the arts. 

Fatimites. — A Mohammedan dynasty, the founder of which 
pretended to be descended from Fatima, the daughter of the 
Prophet. This dynasty commenced in 797, and terminated, 1171. 



44 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Ferrari. — A Milanese family, ninny of the members of which 
were, during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, distinguished 
by their scholastic attainments. 

Gracclli. — The name given to two Roman tribunes of the 
people, sons of Sempronius Gracchus 1 , they rendered themselves 
conspicuous by defending the cause of the plebeians against the 
patricians, and were both assassinated by their enemies. 

Grammont. — An ancient family which signalized itself under 
Louis the Thirteenth and Louis the Fourteenth, and whose 
name appears conspicuously in the history of that time. 

Guise, Diikes of. — The title of a branch of the sovereign 
House of Lorraine, which settled in France at the beginning of 
the sixteenth century. 

Hanoverian Succession.— Upon the death of the Duke of 
Gloucester, infant son of Queen Anne, it was determined, in 
order to exclude the Roman Catholics from the sovereignty of 
England, that the succession should devolve upon Sophia, the 
grand-daughter of James the First, Duchess-dowager of Hanover, 
and her heirs. Accordingly upon the death of Queen Anne, 
without issue, George, the son of Sophia, succeeded to the throne, 
as George the First of England'. 

Hapshurg, House of. — The Austrian line of emperors, com- 
mencing with Count Rudolph, of Eiapsburg, who, in 1273, was 
advanced to the imperial dignity of Germany and the Arch- 
duchy of Austria. The present Emperor of Austria belongs to 
this illustrious house 

Holienzollern, House of. — A famous German house, here- 
ditary marquises and electors of Brandenburg. Raised to the 
rank of royalty January 18th, 1701, the marquis -elector being 
crowned Frederick the First, King oi' Prussia. 

Horatii and Curiatii. — The first-named o\' these were three 
brothers in the Roman army ; the last-named, three brothers in 
the A 1 ban army. It was agreed between the contending parties 
that a combat should be fought between the Horatii and Curiatii 
brothers, and that the result should be regarded in the same 
light as though the whole army had been engaged. The three 
Curiatii and two of the Horatii were slain, the victory being thus 
adjudged to the Romans. 



DYNASTIES, ROYAL HOUSES, ETC. 45 

Howard. — An ancient illustrious English family, distin- 
guished for its attachment to the Romish Church, and for an im- 
portant part played by it in history. The head of this family has 
the titles of first Duke, first Marquis, first Earl, and first Baron of 
the kingdom, and takes his place immediately after the princes 
of the royal blood. 

Lancaster, House of. — The third of four royal English houses, 
isi ii". of Edward the Third. The first issue of Edward was 
the Black Prince, whose son, Richard the Second, reigned from 
1377 to L399. At the death of this prince the third branch 
of Lancaster, issue of John of Gaunt, took possession of the 
throne, to the prejudice of the second branch, founded, by Lionel, 
Duke of Clarence. This hou.se gave three kings to England, 
Henry the Fourth, Henry the Fifth, and Henry the Sixth. At his 
death, fche House of Fork took possession of the throne, founding 
their pretensions on their descent from fche before-mentioned 
Clarence, second .son of Edward fche Third. % 

Manfred! — A sovereign family of Faenza. ft had for its 
chief Richard Matifredi, who caused himself to be proclaimed 
king, 1334. It terminated with Astorgio the Third, who 
ed and put to death by Ca:sar Borgia in 1500. 

Medici. — One of the most celebrated families in the history 
of Florence and Tuscany during the fifteenth century. l>y 
the exercise of extraordinary industry and activity its members 
achieved great wealth, and with it, great influence in the control 
of public affairs. The waum-, of Medici is intimately associated 
with fche Florentine Republic. Cosmo Medici was called fche 

" Father Of his Country : ; ' and Lorenzo, his grandson, was styled 
" The Magnificent." The Medici family governed Florence and 
Tuscany from L434 to L737. 

Merovingian Line. — The name given to the kings, of France 
of the first race, supposed to be derived from Meroveus 
or Merowig, who was born about the year 410. They held 
po ession of the throne for 250 years. 

Montmorency.— One of the most illustrious families of France, 
fche chiefs of which formerly bore fche title of the "'■ first Barons 
of France." From the year 1060 till fche present time, fchis 
family has counted among its members six constables, twelve 



46 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

marshals, four admirals, many cardinals, and numerous grand 
masters of every European, order of knighthood. 

Moorish Kings. — The former sovereigns of the country now 
known as Portugal. They kept possession of the kingdom 
from the eighth to the twelfth century. 

Norman Rule. — William, Duke of Normandy, was cousin 
to Edward the Confessor, King of England ;. and, having been 
bequeathed the crown by the latter, laid claim to the sovereignty; 
his pretensions were disputed by Harold, a powerful Saxon noble,, 
a battle was fought, Harold was killed, and William proclaimed 
King of England. The Norman rule extended from this period 
(1066) to the death of Stephen, 1154. 

Orange, House of. — An ancient and illustrious House de- 
scended from Otho the First, Count of Nassau. In 1369, Otho 
the Second obtained a considerable accession of territory in right 
of his wife, and these domains were added to by his grandson,. 
Gilbert. The title of Prince of Orange came first into the Nassau 
family by the marriage of Claude de Chalons with the Count of 
Nassau, in 1530. William, Prince of Orange, afterwards William 
the Third of England, was a descendant of this family ; he was 
also grandson of Charles the First, and married Mary, daughter 
of the Duke of York, after James the Second. Upon the abdi- 
cation of this latter monarch, William landed in England, and, 
with his queen, was crowned April 11, 1689. 

Orleans Family. — The immediate descendants of Louis Philippe, 
King of the French, deposed February 24th, 1848. His father was 
the notorious Duke of Orleans, who assumed the name of Egalite, 
opposed the court in the French Eevolution, and was guillotined. 

Piccolomiili. — An illustrious family of Italy, originally of 
Rome, and established at Sienne. Its elevation commenced 
with the pontificate of Pius the Second, 1458. Two other 
members of the family have made themselves a name in history : 
Alphonso who signalized himself by his expeditions against the 
Pope, and Octavius, the most distinguished Austrian general in 
the Thirty Years' War. 

Plailtagenet. — A line of English monarchs, from Henry 
the Second, 1154, to Richard the Third, 1485. The etymology 



DYNASTIES, ROYAL HOUSES, ETC. 47 

of this name is derived from Planta genesta (broom plant). It 
-was first given to Fulke, Earl of Anjou, who lived in the tenth 
century. He, having been guilty of certain crimes, -was enjoined 
to wear in his cap, by way of penance, a piece of broom ; that 
plant being regarded as the symbol of humility. This expia- 
tion accomplished, Fulke, in remembrance of it, adopted the title of 
Plantagenet ; and his descendants, not only assumed the same 
name, but even distinguished themselves by wearing a piece of 
broom in their bonnets ; the remoter descendants adopting this 
as their cognizance. 

Rohan. — An eminent house- which is carried back to the first 
sovereignty of Brittany, and which gave birth to many distin- 
guished persons. Of these, the most eminent were Henri Due 
de Rohan, Prince de Leon, born in 1579, and remarkable for his 
military prowess ; Cardinal Rohan, born in 1734, and implicated 
in the "Diamond Necklace" affair, which see. 

Romanoff, House of. — A Russian dynasty so called, having 
its origin in the following manner. Up to the early part of the 
seventeenth century, Russia had been continually a prey to anarchy 
and foreign influence ; but in 1613 a national party was formed 
at Moscow, and a young .Russian nobleman, named Michael 
Romanoff, related by blood to the ancient line of Rurik, was 
called to the throne. With the accession of this dynasty a new 
era in Russian history commenced ; it terminated in 1762, on the 
dethronement and murder of Peter the Third. 

Rurik. — A dynasty of Russia, which held the throne from 
the year 879 till the end of the sixteenth century. The founder 
of this dynasty was the chief of a horde of pirates who infested 
the shores of the Baltic ; at the invitation of the inhabitants of 
Novogorod, he lent them aid against some plundering neighbours, 
but soon took the power into his own hands, and subjected those 
whom he came to defend. He extended his authority over 
Polotsk, Roston, Murom, &c, and took the title of grand duke. 

Samaili&es. — A Persian dynasty, claiming to be descended 
from the ancient kings of Persia, first rising into power in 874, 
and terminating, 999. 

Saxon Rule. — The Saxons were originally an obscure tribe 



48 THE HISTORICAL FINGEK-POST : 

in Germany. They came to England at the invitation of the 
Britons, for the purpose of assisting this people in driving 
the Komans out of their country, in 449. The Saxons afterwards 
rose against the Britons and conquered them. The Saxon rule 
lasted from 447 till the Norman Conquest, 1066. 

Shepherd Kings. — A term applied to a line of rulers, who 
conquered Egypt 2000 years B.C., and held the sovereignty till 
1825 B.C. Under their sway, Egypt relapsed into a state of bar- 
barism, and forfeited for a time the reputation for civilization 
which had previously distinguished it. 

Stuart Dynasty. — The reigning family in England from 
1603 to 1689. Commencing with James the First, son of Mary 
Stuart, Queen of Scots, and ending with the abdication of James 
the Second. The name of this unfortunate family is said to have 
been derived in the following manner. After the murder of 
Banqhuo, Fleance, his son, fled to Wales, and subsequently 
married the Welsh prince's daughter, by whom he had a son, 
Walter. This Walter, flying Wales for murder, was entertained 
in Scotland, and his descent once known, he was preferred to be 
steward to King Edgar ; from which office, the name becoming 
altered to Stuart, originated the surname of his posterity. One 
of the descendants of Walter was Eobert Steward, who, after- 
wards, in right of his wife, became King of Scotland. 

Tudor Dynasty. — Commenced with Henry the Seventh, 
formerly Earl of Richmond, and grandson of Owen Tudor, in 
1485, and terminated at the death of Queen Elizabeth, 1603. 

Yalois Dynasty. — The name of a line of kings, the first of 
whom succeeded to the throne in 1328, in consequence of the 
failure of heirs-male to the preceding monarch. This dynasty 
held possession of the throne till the death of Henry the Third, 1598. 

York, House of. — A branch of the Plantagenet family, the 
issue of Edmund of Langley, fourth son of Edward the Third. 
It disputed the throne with the House of Lancaster, during the 
" Wars of the Roses." It gave three kings to England, Edward 
the Fourth, Edward the Fifth, and Richard the Third. It was 
united to the House of Lancaster by the marriage of Henry the 
Seventh with the Princess Elizabeth of York. 



EMPIRES, TERRITORIAL DIVISIONS, ETC. 49 



SECTION V. 

EMPIRES, TERRITORIAL DIVISIONS, FORMS OF 
GOVERNMENT, etc. 

AnJQH. — One of the provinces or military governments into 
which France was divided before the revolution of 1789. It 
includes the present departments of Maine and Loire. Avith 
portions of the several surrounding ones, especially Sarthe, 
Mayenne, and Vienne. 

Aqilitaine. — One of Csesar's great divisions of Gaul, which 
comprehended the countries on the coast from the Garonne 
to the Pyrenees, and from the sea to Toulouse. Augustus 
extended it to the Loire. In the reign of Honorius it wa& 
conquered by the Visigoths, from whom it was wrested by Clovis. 
Thenceforth it was considered as a portion of France, until it 
fell, by marriage, into the hands of Henry the Second of England. 
It was an appanage of the English monarchs until Charles the 
Seventh finally united it to the French crown in 1452. 

Argentine Bepufolic. — The united provinces of La Plata, a 
country of South America. It extends from the eastern slope 
of the Andes to the rivers Paraguay and Uruguay. The govern- 
ment is a federal republic, under a president who is elected for 
six years, and a congress consisting of two chambers, the lower 
composed of thirty-eight deputies elected directly by the people, 
and the upper of twenty-eight senators named by the provincial 
legislatures. 

Aristocracy. — An hereditary form of government, composed 
of the nobles or superior citizen's of a country. 

Arragon. — The ancient realm of Arragon constituted the 
second division of Spain, and was composed of the kingdoms of 
Arragon, Valencia, and Mollorca, and the principality of Cata- 



50 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Ionia. Upon the death of Ferdinand, in 1516, it was united with. 
Castile ; the two conjointly forming the new Spanish monarchy, 
— See Castile. 

Ateliers Nationanx. — National workshops. The title given 
to a scheme attempted to be carried out during the French. 
Kevolution of 1848, under the supervision of Louis Blanc. The 
establishment proposed to organize labour in such a manner, that 
all persons capable of working should be provided with employ- 
ment, under certain conditions and at definite rates of remune- 
ration. In accordance with this view, upwards of 14,000 paupers 
were set to work in Paris and its neighbourhood. Immense 
confusion followed, the working classes became dissatisfied, the 
government was overwhelmed, and the scheme soon fell to the 
ground. 

Autocracy. — From the Greek autos, self^ and kratos, power. 
Absolute and supreme power, without limit or control, vested in 
a single person. 

Birilian Empire. — The area and geographical boundaries of 
this empire have never been accurately determined. It may, 
however, be said to extend over more than one-fourth of the 
surface of the peninsula beyond the Ganges, and to contain 
about 184,030 square miles. Also known as the Kingdom of Ava. 

Bohemia. — An ancient kingdom, deriving its name from the 
Boii, a Celtic nation, who settled there about 600 B.C. On the * 
death of Charles the Sixth, in 1740, Austria took possession of 
Bohemia, and it has ever since remained one of the provinces of 
the Austrian empire. 

Brittany or Bretagne. — One of the most important pro- 
vinces into which France was divided before the revolution of 
1789. It is at present divided into five departments of Ille-et- 
Vilaine, Loire Inferieure, Cotes clu Norcl, Morbihan, and 
Finisterre. 

Broad Bottom Ministry, — An administration formed in 
1744, so called because it inclifded Tories, Whigs, and Patriots, 
and thereby established the government of the kingdom upon 
a broad basis. 



EMPIRES, TEP.IUTORIAL DIVISIONS, ETC. 51 

Byzantine Empire. — The Byzantine or Eastern Soman Em- 
pire comprehended, at first, in Asia, the country on this side 
the Euphrates, the coasts of the Black Sea, and Asia Minor; 
iijt Africa, Egypt; and in Europe, all the countries from the 
Hellespont to the Adriatic and the Danube. It commenced in 
395, and was put an end to, 1453. 

Castile. — The name of one of the two kingdoms by the 
union of which the present Spanish monarchy was formed ; and 
it is also the name of one of the great territorial divisions of 
present Spain. The term appears to be derived from the Spanish 
castetto, a castle. — See Arragon. 

Cinque Ports. — Eight seaports of England, on the coast of 
Kent and Sussex : namely, Dover, Sandwich, Hastings, Hythe, 
Romney, Winchelsea, Rye, and Seaford. As the name implies, 
there were originally only five, the three latter having been 
declared ports subsequent to the first institution. They are under 
a Lord Warden, and are endowed with considerable privileges. 

Cisalpine Republic. — Proclaimed July 9, 1797, consisting 
of Austrian Lombardy, the Bergamese, the Brescian, the 
Cremasco, and other parts of the Venetian States ; Mantua, the 
Duchy of Modena, Massa, and and Carrara, the Bologn'ese, the 
Ferrarese, and the Romagna. Newly modelled under Bonaparte 
in 1802, and re-named the Italian Republic. 

Coalition Ministry. — Formed 1783, and famous for its hetero- 
geneous elements ; more especially from the novelty of joint 
Secretaries of State in the persons of Lord North and Mr. Fox, 
the chiefs of the rival parties. It failed in giving satisfaction, 
and was dissolved in a few months. 

Commonwealth. — The form of government in England con- 
sequent upon the execution of Charles the First, and exercised 
by Oliver Cromwell from 1649 to 1660. 

Consulate, French. — A form of government which commenced 
in France December 13th, 1799. The supreme power was to 
"be vested in three consuls chosen for ten years, of whom one, 
entitled " The First Consul," should be chief in all matters, 
the others only advising him. Under this arrangement, Bona- 



52 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

parte, as first consul, became virtually the monarch of France. 
Abolished by the crowning of Napoleon as emperor, December 
2nd, 1804. 

Continental System. — A project put forward by Bonaparte, 
having for its object the humbling of Great Britain by cutting 
off her commerce with other parts of the earth, by means of 
which she subsisted and flourished. A decree was issued 
declaring Great Britain to be in a state of blockade, and inter- 
dicting all intercourse with that power. The scheme signally 
failed, and the only result was the ruin of thousands of merchants 
in both countries. 

County Palatine. — In England, a county distinguished by 
particular privileges ; so called a palatio (the palace), because 
the chief officers in the county had, originally, royal powers, 
or the same powers in the administration of justice as the 
king had in his palace ; but these powers are now abridged. 
The counties palatine in Englaifd are Lancaster, Chester, and 
Durham. 

Coup d'Etat. — A French term, signifying an energetic stroke 
of policy. It applies especially to an act of Louis Napoleon, 
who, on the 2nd of December, 1851, at one blow, dissolved 
the National Assembly, broke up the constitution, and assumed 
the sole direction of affairs. The Parisians, attempting to oppose 
this change, were put clown by force ; those who advocated the 
popular cause were banished. Louis Napoleon alleged that he 
had obtained a universal vote of the French people, confirming 
what he had done, and acknowledging him as emperor. 

Decemviri. — The name given to ten magistrates of Rome 
invested with supreme power in the year of Home 302. They 
commenced their government with moderation, but after a time 
began to abuse their power, and in the end became despotic ; 
after continuing in office for two years they were degraded and 
banished. Decemviri was also a name given to ten judges 
appointed to administer justice in the Praetor's absence. 

Democracy. — That form of government which is vested in 
the hands of the people at large. 

Directory, French. — The name of a national assembly in French 



EMPIRES, TERRITORIAL DIVISIONS, ETC. 53 

history, called into existence on the extinction of the Convention 
in 1795. It was composed of the Council of Five Hundred, the 
Council of Ancients, and an executive body of five. The chief 
mission of this assembly was to put an end to the anarchy 
of revolution, and to restore order. 

BuUHlviri. — A Eoman magistracy composed of two persons, 
generally instituted for some particular purpose, and for some 
special affair. There were many kinds of these, and they were 
named according to their functions. 

Eastern Empire. — Commenced under Valens in 364, and ended 
in the defeat and death of Constantine the Twelfth, 1453. 

French Republic. — A popular form of government adopted 
in France on three several occasions, namely, 1789, 1830, and 
1848. . 

Helvetic Xepilblic. — The name which Switzerland assumed 
in 1798, upon the occasion of its being conquered and converted 
into a republic by the French. 

Heptarchy. — Among the Anglo-Saxons, the government 
of the seven kings. It comprised that part of Britain called 
England, which was formerly divided into seven parts or 
kingdoms. In 819 PJgbert, one of the kings, succeeded in con- 
quering the rest, and had himself crowned as sovereign of the 
whole, under the title of King of England. 

Hierarchy. — A term signifying literally sacred government; 
and applied to an ecclesiastical establishment, or a state 
governed by priests. 

Hundred Bays. — In French history, the interval of time 
dating from Napoleon's escape from Elba, February 26th, 
1815, and immediately preceding his downfall at Waterloo. 
This was the busiest and most momentous part of Bonaparte's 
career, being devoted by him to the concentration of all the 
resources at his command, with the view of contending against 
the combined forces of several powers which were being now 
raised against him. 

Ireland, Ancient Kingdoms of. — These were Meath, Leinster, 
Minister, Connaught, and Ulster, the first-named being consi- 
dered the chief sovereignty. 



54 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Mavarre, — An ancient province of Spain, with the title of 
kingdom ; separated from France by the Pyrenees, having the 
kingdom of Arragon on the south. It was formed on the dissolu- 
tion of the empire of Charlemagne, and consisted of Upper 
Navarre to the south, and Lower Navarre to the north of the 
Pyrenees. In 1512, the former was united to the Spanish crown, 
and the latter only remained in possession of the kings of 
Navarre. Under Henry the Fourth of France, this kingdom was 
annexed to the French monarchy. 

iform?Jldy. — An ancient province in the north of France. 
It was divided into Upper and Lower Normandy ; Rouen was 
the capital of the former, Caen of the latter. It became annexed 
to England through the accession of its duke, William. It was 
wrested from John and united to France in 1203 ; was after- 
wards several times invaded by the English, but finally 
recovered by the French in 1450. It now comprises five of 
the richest and most fertile departments of France. 

Oligarchy. — A form of government wherein the administra- 
tion of affairs is lodged in the hands of a few persons. 

Protectorate. — A name for the latter period of the Common- 
wealth ; so called from Cromwell being appointed Lord Protector 
of the Kingdom. 

Provence. — One of the old provinces of France, lying in 
the south-eastern part of the country, on the Mediterranean, 
bounded on the north by Dauphiny, and on the west by Lan- 
guedoc. Greek colonies were founded here at an early period ; 
and the Romans, afterwards conquering the country, gave it the 
name of Provincia (the province), whence its later name was 
derived. It now forms the departments of the Mouths of the 
Rhone, the Lower Alps, and the Var, with a part of that of 
Vaucluse. 

Provisional Government. — A temporary government organized 
in France immediately after the revolution of 1848. It included 
Lamartine, Louis Blanc, Arago, Ledru Rollin, and other eminent 
names. It lasted only seven months, and was succeeded by the 
Presidency of Louis Napoleon. 

Public Safety, Committee of.— A body politic organized in 



EMPIRES, TERRITORIAL DIVISIONS, ETC. 55 

France during the Revolution, and commencing its functions 
April 6th, 1793. It was composed of nine persons, who were 
invested with full powers to prepare and execute whatever 
measures they might deem advisable for the external as well 
as the internal protection of the republic. The office was held 
for one month, and the members were re-eligible. 

Eegency. — A government appointed during the minority, 
incapacity, or absence of the rightful monarch. The English 
regency was vested in the Prince of Wales, afterwards George 
the Fourth, during the period of his father's mental alienation. 
Existed from 1811 to 1820. 

Hepublic. — A term derived from the Latin respublica, and in 
its 'largest acceptation closely corresponding with the English 
word commonioealth. According to modern usage, it signifies a 
political community which is not under monarchical government, 
or in which the sovereign power is not vested in one person. 

EllSSias, All the. — A term indicating the whole Russian 
territory. It is founded on the ancient division of Russia, which 
comprehends the provinces of Great or Black Russia, Little or 
Red Russia, and White Russia. 

Talents, All the. — An administration so called by its friends, 
and afterwards applied derisively by the opposition party. It 
was a ministry formed by Lord Grenville and Mr. Fox, on the 
death of Mr. Pitt, in 1806. It consisted of Lord Grenville, Lord 
Henry Petty, Earl Fitzwilliam, Viscount Sidmouth, Mr. Fox, 
Earl Spencer, Mr. Windham, Lord Erskine, Lord Ellenborough, 
Lord Minto, Right Hon. Charles Grey, Richard Fitzpatrick, 
Lord Moira, and Mr. Sheridan. 

Terror, Beign of. — A term applied to that period of the 
first French Revolution marked by wholesale and indiscriminate 
executions, and other fearful crimes, which were perpetrated at 
the instigation of Robespierre and his associates. It continued 
during the years 1793-94. 

Texas, S-epiilblic of. — Texas was formerly a part of the Spanish 
viceroyalty of Mexico. When the Mexicans threw off the yoke 
of the mother country, it formed one of the provinces of the new 
republic, and was established as a separate state in 1824. In 



56 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

1836, Texas declared itself independent of Mexico, and it con- 
tinued to exist as a distinct republic till 1846. The government 
of Mexico persisting in its refusal to acknowledge the inde- 
pendence of the country, it was admitted as one of the United 
States of North America. 

Thirty Tyrants, or Council of Thirty. — A name given to 
the government of Athens, 404 B.C. Under this rule the greatest 
tyrannies were practised and the worst of crimes perpetrated. 
After a career of eight months, it was put an end to, and the 
tyrants themselves expelled. 

Triumviri. — Under this designation, numerous offices at 
Eome were held by three persons conjointly, and who thus 
associated were intrusted with the management or administration 
of certain affairs. 

Wapentake. — From the Saxon ivcepen, arms, and tac, to touch 
or take. A term synonymous with the territorial division 
now known as a "hundred." The Avorcl is said to be derived 
either from the ancient custom of the chief men of the hundred, 
upon a certain day, placing their lances or pikes together, so as 
to touch, as a token of unity: or from the practice of taking 
away the weapons of those who could not find sufficient pledges 
for their loyalty. 

"Western Empire. — That portion of the ancient Roman 
Empire, converted into a separate kingdom, on the death of 
Theodosius the Great in 395, and comprehending Italy, Africa, 
Gaul, Spain, Britain, and half of Illyria. Its place was subse- 
quently supplied by the Italian, French, Spanish, and English 
sovereignties. 



DIGNITIES, TITLES, ETC. 57 



SECTIOIT VI. 

DIGNITIES, TITLES, OFFICES OF STATE AND 
HONOUR, etc. 

iEdile. — A Roman magistrate named from the Latin word 
cedes, edifice, because one of their principal duties consisted in 
taking charge of buildings, public and private, sacred and profane. 
Originally there were two sediles, and their office was annual. 
Four were subsequently chosen ; two of plebeian extraction, and 
two patrician. Other sediles were chosen for the provinces, and 
they were, for the most part, the chief magistrates of the district. 

Antipope. — A term applied to those popes who, during the 
schism caused by the rival jealousies between the French and 
Italian parties in the conclave, in the fourteenth and fifteenth 
centuries, maintained themselves in opposition to each other. 

Arch-Duke. — A title originally assumed by various dukes, but 
subsequently appropriated to those of the House of Austria by the 
Emperor Frederick the Third, in 1453. It is now strictly 
confined to the younger sons of the Emperor of Austria. 

Archon. — The Archons, in Ancient Greece, were chief 
magistrates chosen from the most illustrious families to super- 
intend civil and religious concerns. They were nine in number : 
the first was properly the archon • the second was called basileus, 
i. e.j king ; the third polemarch, or general of the forces. The other 
six were called thesmothetce, or legislators. 

Attache.— A diplomatic title for a person attached to another, 
as a part of his suite or retinue. 

Autocrat. — A title assumed by the emperors of Russia. 
Among the Athenians, it was sometimes conferred on their 
ambassadors and generals, when invested with unlimited 
power. 



58 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Ban. — From the Slavonic pan, lord : commandant of a march 
or province, on the frontiers of Hungary, and in the German 
empire. The Ban was named by the sovereign, but not for life ; 
his state was equal to that of Count Palatine, and he enjoyed 
absolute power. At the present time there is a Ban only of 
Croatia, who was the third grand dignitary of the kingdom of 
Hungary. 

Bey or Beg. — In the Ottoman empire, a title given to the 
governor of a town or province ; also, in some places, a prince. 

Black Rod. — The title of an official who bears a black rod, 
upon the top of which sits a lion in gold. He has the keeping of 
the Chapter-house door when a chapter of the Order of the Garter 
is sitting, and in the time of a parliamentary session he attends in 
the House of Lords. 

Borshol&er.— Among the Anglo-Saxons, one of the lowest 
magistrates, whose jurisdiction extended over only one tithing, 
consisting of ten families. Each tithing formed a little state of 
itself, and chose one of its most respectable members for its 
chief, whose title, borshoider, was derived from two words signi- 
fying a surety and a head. 

Cadi.— A Turkish magistrate of the fourth order, whose 
duties partake of the police inspector and the justice of the 
peace, chiefly confined to small towns and villages. 

Caliph.— From the Arabic word calcifa, to succeed ; and in 
this sense applied to the successors of Mahomet, in the empire, 
temporal and spiritual, established by this celebrated legislator. 

Charge d'Affaires.— One who transacts business at a foreign 
court during the absence of his superior, the ambassador. 
The diplomatic agents that bear this name also form a separate 
class, being the chosen envoys or residents in the states to which 
other states do not appoint diplomatists of the higher grades. 

Consul.— From the Latin consulere, to consult. The chief 
magistrate of the ancient Koman republic, invested with royal 
authority for one year. Two consuls were annually chosen; and 
originally they were elected from noble families. After a while, 
however, the plebeians, or common people, secured the privilege of 
appointing a consul from their order 5 and later still, both consuls 
were so appointed. 



DIGNITIES, TITLES, ETC. 59 

Czar or Tzar. — A title of the Emperor of Russia, first assumed 
by Ivan the Second in 1579. The word is a corruption of Ccesar, 
emperor. 

DaiipllilL — A title which, previously to 1830, was borne by 
the heir presumptive to the throne of France. The title is 
said to have originated in the following manner. In the feudal 
times, France was divided into many petty sovereignties. 
Dauphiny was one of these, and the Count Humbert the Second 
married in 1332 a daughter of the house of France, by whom he 
had an only son. One day, while playing with this child, he let 
him accidentally fall into the Rhine, in which he was drowned. 
Having no other children, he resolved upon giving his dominions 
to France, upon condition that the eldest sons of the kings of 
France should bear the title of Dauphin. This cession was 
made in 1343. The name arose from the prince's crest, a dolphin. 

Bey.— The title of the old governors or princes of Algiers, 
under the protection of the Grand Seignior. 

Dictator. — A Roman magistrate invested with royal authority, 
who was elected by the senate, confirmed by the augurs, and re- 
mained in office for six months. He had the right of making 
peace and war, of levying armies, and of commanding them. 
Julius Csesar was the last dictator. 

Eiocesaii. — Another name for a bishop. 

Doge. — A name signifying duke, and which was formerly 
borne by the chief of the republics of Venice and Genoa. In 
Venice, the doge was chosen for life, and was the chief of all the 
counsels. At Genoa the doge was nominated for two years only, 
and could not enjoy the dignity a second time without an interval 
of twelve years. 

Doin and Bon. — Dom is an abbreviation, used by the Portuguese, 
of domihus, a master who owns. Don, as used by the Spanish, has 
the same derivation, and in both countries the words are meant to 
signify a title of honour and respect. At first they were applied 
only to princes and nobles ; at the present clay they are only a 
form of politeness. 

Elector. — Formerly, in Germany, a title borne by all the 
princes of the states of the empire, numbering seven, who pos- 
sessed the exclusive power of nominating for election the Emperor 



60 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

of Germany. The number was increased afterwards, but in 1804, 
on the dissolution of the German empire, and when the crown 
of Austria was made hereditary, the electorate ceased. 

Emir. — An Arabic word signifying a commander ; a title of 
honour given by the Turks to the descendants of Mahomet. 
Those who are emirs by their mother's side are held in higher 
estimation than those who derive their dignity from their fathers. 
In a general sense it denotes a prince. 

Epliori. — In Ancient Sparta, magistrates to the number of 
five, instituted by Lycurgus, as a counterbalance to the regal 
authority. These magistrates possessed at first but limited 
power, but in the course of time they were able to arrest, 
depose, and even put to death. Their" influence attained its 
greatest height during the Peloponnesian War. 

Gold Stick and Silver Stick.— The colonels of the two 
regiments of Life Guards are called gold stick, and it is their 
duty to be in attendance upon the Sovereign on all state occa- 
sions. The duty is performed by these colonels for a month 
alternately, with the title of Gold Stick in waiting. Silver Stick 
is the field officer of the Life Guards when on duty. The term 
originated in the custom of the Sovereign presenting these officers 
with a gold or silver stick upon their appointment to a regi- 
ment, &c. 

Grand Pensionary.— Formerly the title of the prime minister 
of the states of the province of Holland., He directed the 
discussions in the assembly of the states ; negotiated with foreign 
ministers, and conducted other important business. His term of 
office was for live years, and he was eligible for re-election. 

Grand Seignior. — Another name for the Sultan of Turkey, 
signifying Great Lord. 

Grandee.— In Spain, a nobleman of the first rank who has 
permission to remain covered in the presence of his sovereign. 

Hetman. — The title of the sovereign Cossack prince, chief, 
or general. The commander-in-chief of the whole Polish armies 
was called Hetman Wiellci, and the second general Hetman Polny. 
Th£ word is derived from the German, and signifies the chief of 
a troop. 



DIGNITIES, TITLES, ETC. Gl 

Hospodar. — A title given in Moldavia and Wallachia to 
a sovereign, prince, or chief. The word is derived from the 
Slavonic, and signifies master of the house, or possessor of land. 

Hnissier, — In France, civil officers whose attendance forms 
a necessary part of every judicial tribunal. There are different 
degrees of them, and the duties distributed among them 
are, to cite persons before the tribunals, to keep order in the 
courts, to interpret judgments, and to superintend their 
execution. 

Incas. — The i name of the dynasty which reigned in Peru 
before it was conquered by Spain. They professed to have 
issued from the sun, and after their death were worshipped as 
gods. The Incas possessed both temporal and spiritual power, 
and claimed to themselves the sole right of opening the Temple 
of the Sun. 

Infailta. — In Spain and Portugal any princess of the blood 
royal, except the eldest daughter when heiress apparent. Infante, 
any son of the king, except the eldest or heir apparent. 

Justices in Eyre. — Certain itinerant judges among the Anglo- 
Saxons, who travelled through the kingdom, holding courts for 
all causes, civil or criminal, and in most respects discharging the 
office of the superior courts. 

Khan. — A word of Mongol or Turkish origin, said to signify 
" great and powerful lord." It was employed by the central nations 
of Asia to express the full extent of sovereign power, was 
assumed by Gengis when he became supreme ruler of the Mongols 
and Tartars, and was adopted by his successors. The word is still 
used in Persia in a more restricted sense, being applied to gover- 
nors of provinces, and to all officers of a certain rank. 

Lama. — The name of priests among the people of Thibet 
and the Buddhist Mongols. The Grand Lama exercises both 
spiritual and temporal power in Thibet, under the sovereignty of 
China, and is regarded as an incarnation of the Divinity upon 
earth ; he resides in the recesses of his palace, and is seldom 
visible to his worshippers, from whom he receives divine honours. 

Landgrave. — From land, earth, and graff, an earl. The 
name formerly borne in Germany by the earls or judges nomi- 



62 THE HISTORICAL 'FINGER-POST : 

nated by the emperor to administer justice in his name in the 
interior of the country. The title is at present borne by the 
sovereign of Hesse-Homburg, and by some younger princes of 
the house of Hesse. 

Lictor. — An officer among the Romans who bore an axe and 
fasces or rods as ensigns of his office. The duty of a lictor 
was to attend the chief magistrate when he appeared in public • 
also to apprehend and punish criminals. 

Lord Keeper. — An ancient officer of the crown, who had the 
custody of the King's great seal, with authority to affix it to 
public documents, some of the most important of which were 
inoperative until they had been authenticated in this formal 
manner. 

Mandarin. — In China, a magistrate appointed by - the 
sovereign to assist the government. The place is accorded to 
merit, and to those who have done service to the state. The 
mandarins are chosen from all classes of the empire, and princi- 
pally from among the lower orders ; their power is equally 
absolute with that of the emperor. The mandarins form two 
classes, civil and military, and are again divided into grand and 
simple. 

Margrave. — From mark, a boundary, and graff, an earl. Origin- 
ally a keeper or commandant of the inarches or boundaries. ISfow 
a title in Germany equivalent to that of Marquis, and borne by 
certain petty G-erman princes. 

Metropolitan. — The bishop of the mother church ; an arch- 
bishop. 

Mogul or Grand Mogul. — The name of a prince or emperor 
of a nation in Asia called Moguls or Monguls. 

Mufti. — The high priest or chief of the ecclesiastical order 
among the Mahometans. The authority of the mufti is very 
great in the Ottoman empire ; for without hearing his opinion, 
the Sultan dare not put any person to death, or so much as inflict 
corporal punishment. In all actions, and especially criminal 
ones, his opinion is required by giving him a writing in which 
.the case is stated under feigned names, which he subscribes with 
the word olur, he shall be punished, or olmaz, he shall not be 
punished. 



DIGNITIES, TITLES, ETC. 63 

Kafoob. — The title of the governor of a province, or commander 
of an army, in India. The same term is vulgarly applied to a 
European who has amassed a large fortune in the East Indies. 

Norroy. — In heraldry, the North King ; the title of the third 
of the three kings-at-arms, or provincial heralds. 

Pacha. — Pronounced pashah; contracted from the Persian 
Pacli shall, foot of the shah. A Turkish title for the governor 
of a province. 

Paladin.— A word derived from the Latin palatinus, which 
signifies in general nobles, dignitaries, chiefs, &c. In chivalry, 
this term is associated with a person of pure descent, possessing 
tried courage, untarnished honour, and endowed with all the other 
virtues pertaining to chivalry. 

Palatine. — A dignity in connection with a royal palace. 
On the continent of Europe, one delegated by a prince to hold 
courts of justice in a province, or one who has a palace and a 
court of justice in his own house. 

Patriarch.— A word used in ecclesiastical nomenclature to 
denote a bishop who has authority not only over other bishops, 
but over the collective body of bishops of divers kingdoms or 
states. 

Plenipotentiary. — An ambassador or diplomatic agent invested 
with full powers to treat upon any particular business or affairs. 

Pontiff. — From the Latin pontifex, a bridge-builder. The 
pontiffs of the twelfth century were a religious order who 
established a species of hospital or refuge on rivers ; they 
also constructed bridges for travellers to pass over, free ot 
charge. In its more modern acceptation, the term implies a 
person who is invested with a sacred character and confined to 
religious duties. Sovereign Pontiff is the name frequently given 
to the Pope. Among the ancient Komans, the Grand Pontiff was 
the supreme head of the sacerdotal order. 

Q,U88Stor.— In Ancient Rome, an officer who had the 
management of the public treasure. There were two quaestors, 
and, when Rome made war, their duty was to follow the army for 
the purpose of paying the soldiers, and also to take care of the 
spoils of the enemy, which then formed a fruitful source ot 
revenue. Two additional quaestors were afterwards appointed, 



64 THE HISTORICAL FINGEE-POST : 

who administered affairs at home while their associates in office 
were with the army. 

Rabbi. — A doctor or teacher among the Jews, whose province 
it is to decide differences, determine what things are allowed 
or forbidden, and judge both in religions and civil matters. 
They celebrate marriages, and declare divorces, preach in the 
synagogues, and preside over academies. 

Rajah. — The name of princes who govern the various provinces 
of Hindostan ; they are for the most part subject to the English. 

Rural Dean. — One who formerly, under the bishop and 
archdeacon, had the peculiar care and inspection of the clergy 
and laity of a district now called a deanery. 

Sahib. — In the East Indies, a title commonly given to persons 
of distinction. It means, also, a white gentleman, or European 
master. 

Satrap. — A Persian word, signifying originally the com- 
mander of an armed naval force. It was afterwards applied to 
the ministers of the kings of Persia, and to the governors of 
Persian provinces. They possessed absolute power, and were 
independent of each other, so much so, that they sometimes made 
war upon one another. The word is now only employed in a bad 
sense, to designate those persons in power who oppress the 
people. 

Seneschal. — From German, sein, a dwelling, and scale, an 
officer. A French title of office and dignity derived from the 
middle ages, and answering to that of steward or high steward 
in England. 

Serene Highness. — A title of courtesy applied chiefly to the 
princes of the petty German states. The title is of considerable 
antiquity, and before the dissolution of the German Empire it 
was the appropriate designation of the representatives of princely 
houses holding titles of the empire. 

Shah. — This title is applied by European writers to the 
Persian monarch ; who, in his own country, is designated by the 
compound appellation of Padishah, i. e., prince's foot. 

Soldan. — An obsolete term for Sultan. 

Sophi. — A title given to the Sultan of Persia, as grand master 



DIGNITIES, TITLES, ETC. 65 

of the order of the Sophis, originally a religious body of the Mo- 
hammedan creed in that empire. 

Stadtholder. — From the Dutch stadt, a state or province, and 
houlder, holder, or governor. Formerly the chief magistrate of 
the United Provinces of Holland, or the governor or lieutenant- 
governor of a province. 

Suffragan.— A titular ecclesiastic ordained to assist a bishop 
in his spiritual functions. A term relatively applied to every 
bishop, with respect to the archbishop, who is his superior. 

Tanist. — A name which was anciently given in Ireland to a 
lord, governor, or extensive landed proprietor. The office was 
elective, and was often obtained by purchase or bribery. 

Tetrarch. — From the Greek tetra, four, and arche, rule. A 
title given by the ancient Eomans to a subordinate prince, or the 
governor of the fourth part of the realm. In time this word 
came to denote any petty king or sovereign. 

Thane. — The name of an ancient dignity among the Anglo- 
Saxons, being about equal to that of the son of an earl. Soon 
after the Norman Conquest, this name was disused, and thanes 
were called king's barons. In Scotland, thane was a recognised 
title down to the end of the fifteenth century, and was for the 
most part synonymous with earl, which title was generally 
annexed to the territory, of a whole county. 

Tribunes, Military. — Officers of the Roman army who com- 
manded divisions of legions, and who were empowered to decide 
all questions relating to the army. The camp was confided to 
their care, and they gave the watch-word. 

Tribunes of the People. — Roman magistrates chosen from 
the common people to protect them against the oppressions 
of the great, and to defend the liberties of the people against the 
senate and consuls. They were established in the year of Rome, 
260. Their number was at first two, then five, and afterwards 
ten. In the course of time their rule became despotic and 
tyrannical, and their power was annihilated by Julius Csesar. 

Tyrant.— This word, which has for its modern signification 
a despotic sovereign who abuses his authority and recognises 

D 



66 THE HISTORICAL FINGEE-POST : 

no other .law than his will, meant originally nothing more than 
king, chief, or ruler, possessing absolute power. 

Vizier. — Pronounced veetzeer; from the Arabic word wazara, 
to sustain or administer. A title of honour and of office in 
Turkey, and other Eastern countries. Among the Turks, all 
the pachas with three tails receive this title. The councillors of 
State are also called viziers, the chief of whom, the Grand Vizier, 
is invested by the Sultan with absolute power and authority. 



TKEATIES, CONVENTIONS, LEAGUES, ETC. 67 



SEOTIOU -VII. 

TREATIES, CONVENTIONS, LEAGUES, CONVOCATIONS, - 
COUNCILS, DELIBERATIVE ASSEMBLIES, etc. 

Achaean League. — A Grecian confederacy, so called from 
Achaeus, king of Thessaly ; begun 284 B.C., and continued for 
more than 130 years. It grew powerful by the accession of 
neighbouring states, and succeeded in freeing the country from 
foreign slavery. It was finally attacked by the Romans 147 B.C. ; 
the league dissolved, and Greece made subject to Rome, under 
the name of the province of Achaia. 

Aix-la-Chapelle, Treaty of.— Signed October 7th, 1748, 
by England, France, Holland, Hungary, Spain, and Genoa ; the 
object being to terminate the war of the Austrian succession 
which for seven years had disturbed the whole of the European 
powers, without being productive of advantage to any of them. 

Amiens, Peace of. — Between England, France, Spain, and 
Holland, March 27th, 1802. By this treaty, England gave up her 
colonial conquests, except Ceylon and Trinidad. The Cape was 
made a neutral port, and Malta restored to the Knights of St. 
John. A dispute arising upon the latter article, the peace con- 
tinued for only one year. 

Amphictyon Council. — A kind of general assembly of the 
states of Greece, established 1113 B.C. Its principal object was 
to unite the people for mutual defence, and to devise measures 
for the prosperity and happiness of the country. The decrees ot 
this council were held sacred and inviolable, and were sometimes 
confirmed by force of arms. 

Alllic Council. — From the Latin aula, used for court. One ot 
the two supreme courts of the German empire established in 
1495. It consisted of a president, vice-president, and eighteen 

d 2 



68 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

councillors, six of whom were to be Protestants ; all were 
appointed and paid by the emperor. With the death of an emperor 
this court was dissolved, and the next emperor established a new 
one. It finally ceased to exist upon the extinction of the German 
empire in 1806. There is still, however, an Aulic Council at 
Vienna for the affairs of the war department of the Austrian 
empire. 

Barons, Assembly Of. — The barons were first summoned to 
Parliament in 1205. They afterwards assembled at Runnymede 
near Windsor, 1215, and compelled King John to sign Magna 
Charta. 

Biens Nationaux. — National possessions : a designation for the 
confiscated property and estates of the Emigrants during the 
French Revolution, and which were sold by virtue of a decree of the 
Legislative Assembly. This denomination existed for thirty-five 
years in the public acts ; but it was erased by a law passed in 
1825, an indemnity being accorded to the original proprietors ot 
the confiscated possessions. 

Cabinet Council. — A council held by the members of the 
administration ; so called from its meetings having originally 
taken place in a cabinet or small inner room of the king's 
apartments. 

Calmar, Union of. — A project attempted from time to time to 
unite Denmark, Sweden, and Norway into one kingdom ; it was 
effected in 1397, but was afterwards only partially observed, and 
was finally dissolved in 1524. 

Camarilla. — A Spanish word, signifying literally a small 
chamber. In a political and historical sense, it applies to a 
secret council, intrigue, or disreputable assembly. The term 
originated thus : Ferdinand of Spain, having a predilection for 
the society of the lowest and most vulgar of the royal houses- 
hold, was in the habit of frequenting a small room destined for 
the attendants of the second class ; here he was most frequently 
to be found, and hence it became, in the course of time, the 
general rendezvous of his friends ; among these were numbered a 
swarm of ambitious intriguers, monks, spies, inquisitors, soldiers 



TREATIES, CONVENTIONS, LEAGUES, ETC. 69 

of fortune, &c. A secret society named Camarilla, and made 
up of these elements, also had existence in Spain. 

Conclave. — From the Latin con, together, and clavis, a key. 
The name given to the assembly of cardinals when they meet 
for the purpose of electing a Pope. On such occasions, each 
cardinal is conducted to a separate room, and there locked in 
until the election is over. Their votes are written down and 
placed in an urn : this is repeated every day till two-thirds at 
least of the votes are in favour of one nominee for the pontifical 
chair, who is then declared duly elected. 

Congress, American. — This term is applied to three differently 
constituted bodies of representatives of the American people. 
The first is the Continental Congress, assembled in 1774, 
and which conducted the national affairs until the close of the 
revolution. The second is the Federal Congress, convened under 
the Articles of Confederation, 1781, and which ruled the country till 
1789. The third is the Congress of the United States, which first 
met under the constitution, March 4th, 1789. The functions of this 
assembly are similar to those of the British Parliament. 

Convention, the National. — Succeeded the Legislative As- 
sembly of France, September 21st, 1792. It was composed of 749 
members. By this assembly, Louis the Sixteenth was put upon 
his trial and sentenced to death ; and under its auspices the 
" Eeign of Terror " was inaugurated, upwards of 8000 persons 
having been executed by its decrees. Its sittings terminated 
October 26th, 1795. 

Cortes. — The name of the national assembly of representatives 
in Spain and in Portugal. The Spanish Cortes is composed of a 
chamber of peers and a chamber of deputies. The number of 
the peers is unlimited, and they are appointed for life by the 
king ; that of the deputies 350, who are chosen for five years. 
In Portugal, the Cortes consists, also, of two chambers — peers 
and deputies — but with this difference, that the peers are here- 
ditary and the deputies are chosen for four years. The framing 
of the laws belongs to either one or the other of these chambers, 
but the royal veto is absolute. 



70 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Declaration of Independence, American.— Made in July, 
1776, by which act the Americans withdrew their allegiance from 
the king of Great Britain, and declared themselves an independent 
people, under the title of the United States of America. 

Deputies, Chamber of. — The Legislative Assembly of France 
consisting of members delegated from the various departments of 
the kingdom. 

Diet. — From the Latin dies indicia, day fixed. The name given 
to the principal national assemblies in various countries of modern 
Europe. In Dutch, it is called ryhsdag ; in German, reichstag ; 
in Swedish, riksdag • and in Danish, rigsdag. 

Divan. — Among the Arabs, Persians, and Turks, this 
word has various significations ; but in Turkey, it denotes the 
ministry, as for instance, the great council of the empire in the 
present day at Constantinople. The word is also applied to the 
chamber in which the council is held. 

Dort, Synod of. — An ecclesiastical assembly which commenced 
its sittings November 13th, 1618, and continued to May 29th, 
1619. The object was to settle certain differences of doctrine 
between the Calvinists and Arminians, called the five points, 
namely, election, redemption, original sin, effectual grace, and 
perseverance. The decision was in favour of the Calvinists. 

Eisteddfod. — From the Welsh eistedd, to sit. A name given 
in former times to the meetings of the Welsh bards, at which, 
trials of poetical skill were made, and prizes were awarded to the 
best performers ; the last appointment was issued in 1568. 

Family Compact. — An engagement entered into between ' 
the different branches of the House of Bourbon, signed at Paris, 
August, 1761, for the purpose of opposing the claims of England, 
to the dominion of the sea. 

Field of the Cloth of Gold. — This title was given to a plain 
between Ardres and Guines, where a celebrated meeting took 
place between Francis the First and Henry the Eighth, June 7th, 
1520. The immediate scene of this remarkable interview was 
decorated in the richest and most costly manner. The two 
monarchs and their attendant nobles were clad in sumptuous 
attire, studded with gold and glittering with diamonds. The 



TREATIES, CONVENTIONS, LEAGUES, ETC. 71 

retinues, equipages, and various appointments of the rival courts 
struggled to outshine each other in magnificence ; and the whole 
scene was one which, for gorgeousness and display, has, perhaps, 
never been surpassed. Some idea may be gathered of the cost 
of this royal show, from the fact that several nobles were im- 
poverished for years afterwards, through the expenditure involved 
on this occasion. 

Germanic Confederation. — Constituted by the allies, 1815. 
By this it was determined that, in lieu of the old German empire, 
dissolved in 1806, and which it was deemed useless to restore, 
the separate sovereign states should be associated into one 
European body. It is now represented by the empire of Austria, 
the kingdoms of Prussia, Hanover, Bavaria, Saxony, and Wurtem- 
burg ; together with other minor principalities, duchies, and 
lordships. 

Green Cloth, Board of. — A court in the department of the 
Lord High Steward, having the control of the royal household, 
and the jurisdiction of all offences committed in the royal palaces 
and boundaries of the court. It is so called from the table at 
which the members of the council sat, having been originally 
covered with a green cloth. 

Hague, Treaty of the. — Between England, France, and Holland, 
to maintain the equilibrium of the North, May 21st, 1659. 

Hanseatic League. — A commercial association formed at 
the commencement of the thirteenth century, by a number of 
German port-towns, to protect their navigation against the Baltic 
pirates ; the league was signed in 1241, and in 1280 it embraced 
upwards of seventy towns. In 1348 war was made against 
Denmark by a portion of this league, without the concurrence of 
the other ; this occasioned the breaking up of the association, 
and, in 1630, the only towns remaining of this power were 
Lubeck, Bremen, and Hamburg. 

Holy Alliance. — The name commonly given to a convention 
concluded at Paris, September 26th, 1815, between Russia., 
Austria, and Prussia. This document commences by announcing 
the intention of the contracting parties to act for the future upon 
the precepts of the gospel, namely, Justice, Christian Charity, 



72 THE HISTOEICAL FINGER-POST : 

and Peace. It then goes on to declare that the three subscribing 
princes will remain united to each other by the bonds of brother- 
hood, and finally invites other powers to join the confederacy. 
This alliance was entered into by most of the European potentates, 
but England held aloof on the plea that such a compact was not 
permitted by its constitution. Upon the death of the Emperor 
of Eussia in 1825, the Holy Alliance ceased to have any sub- 
stantial existence. 

Inquisition. — In the church of Rome, a tribunal in several 
Roman Catholic countries, but especially in Spain, erected by the 
Pope for the examination and punishment of heretics. It was 
founded in the twelfth century, by the Pope sending emissaries 
to various countries, to inquire into the number and quality of 
heretics, and to transmit an account of them to Rome. Hence 
these agents were called Inquisitors, and the tribunal, the 
Inquisition. The horrible atrocities committed at the instigation 
of this tribunal have rendered it infamous in history. It was 
abolished in 1820. 

Junta. — From the Latin junctus, joined. In Spain, a high 
council of state, and another name for the Cortes, or assembly 
of the estates of the kingdom. 

Legislative Assembly. — A political assembly of France 
during the first Revolution. It was composed of 745 members, 
the majority of whom were under thirty years of age ; and their 
chief qualification was their enthusiasm in the Republican 
cause. It opened its sittings, October 1st, 1791, and closed 
its functions September 21st, 1792. It is remarkable only, as 
being the nucleus of the anarchy and tumult which at that time 
distracted the kingdom. 

Mad Parliament. — An assembly of the barons during the 
reign of Henry the Third, so called by the friends of the king 
because its measures were " madly opposed to royal authority." 

Missouri, Compromise of.— In 1817 application was made 
to the American government for the admission of Missouri as a 
state into the Federal Union, which application led to fierce and 
stormy debates in Congress, regarding the admission or exclusion 
of slavery. The discussion raged for two years, threatening the 



TREATIES, CONVENTIONS, LEAGUES, ETC. 73 

existence of the Union, and was only adjusted by a compromise, 
in which it was agreed that the institution of slavery should be 
recognised in Missouri, but in no other state, north of the latitude 
of 36° 30', which might be formed out of the territories of the 
Union. This compromise was abrogated by a new one made 
upon the admission of California ; and the abrogation was con- 
firmed when the territorial governments of Kansas and Nebraska 
were formed. Subsequently, the supreme court of the United 
States pronounced such a compromise to be unconstitutional, 
thus leaving the territories open to slavery or not, as may be 
determined upon by their inhabitants. 

National Assembly. — The name of the three representative 
orders of France, united into one body, in 1789. It was this 
assembly which initiated the Revolution, by providing a new 
constitution and setting itself in direct opposition to the king. 

Nice, Council of. — Convoked in the year 325 by the Emperor 
Constantine, held at Nice in Bithynia, and attended by the 
representatives of the whole Christian world. The object was to 
put an end to the disputes which had arisen out of the Arian 
heresy, to ascertain the Catholic doctrine, and to provide for the 
tranquillity of future generations. 

Mce, Treaty of. — Between Francis the First, the French 
king, and Charles the Fifth of Spain, June 18th, 1538. A cessa- 
tion of hostilities for ten years between these rival monarchs. 
was agreed upon. 

Notables, Assembly of. — An assembly of the chief personages 
of France, convened in 1788 on account of the impoverished 
condition of the royal treasury. After sitting for a month, they 
were dismissed by the king. 

Oregon Treaty. — In 1845, a dispute arose between the 
United States and Great Britain, respecting the Oregon territory, 
for the possession of which each country strongly contended. 
The difference was settled by treaty, June 12th, 1846. 

Peronne, Treaty of.— Made 1468, between Louis the Eleventh 
and the Duke of Burgundy ; gained by intimidation, and signed 
in bad faith. 

Poland, Partition of.— An agreement entered into between 



74 THE HISTOEICAL FINGER-POST : 

the Empress of Kussia, the Emperor of Austria, and the King of 
Prussia, February 17th, 1772, by which they arranged that 
each should seize upon a certain extent of Polish territory, and 
retain possession of it in defiance of right and in contravention 
of the law of nations. This act of spoliation was suggested and 
favoured by the weak state of Poland, from the civil and foreign 
wars in which she was then engaged. 

Privy Council. — The principal council of the sovereign, the 
members of which are chosen at his or her pleasure without any 
limitation as to numbers. It is from them that the ministers of 
state forming the cabinet are selected. It has power to inquire 
into all offences against the Government, and to commit the 
offenders for the purpose of their trial in some of the courts of 
law. The members are sworn to secrecy. 

Quadruple Alliance. — Between England, France, Holland, 
and the Emperor of Germany, signed July 22nd, 1719. The 
object was, to restrain the ambition of Spain and to secure the 
succession of the reigning families of England and France. 

Rhine, Confederation of the.— On the 12th of July, 1806, the 
kings of Bavaria and Wurtemburg, the Electors of Katisbonne 
and Baden, the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, the Duke of 
Cleves, the princes of the House of Nassau, and the representa- 
tives of the German states, severed themselves from the Germanic 
constitution, and placed themselves under the protection of the 
Emperor Napoleon, in order to form among them a treaty of 
alliance and a guarantee perpetual and reciprocal, under the title 
of the Confederated States of the Rhine. This compact was dis- 
solved in 1814, and was replaced by the Germanic Confederation, 
which see. 

Hump Parliament, called also the Long Parliament. Sat 
from 1649 to 1653. Cromwell blockaded the House of Commons 
with troops, seized several members in the passage, excluded 
others, and suffered only a few of the most determined to 
enter the house : the members thus admitted, were designated 
the Eump. 

Eyswick, Treaty of. — Concluded between England, France, 
Spain, and Holland, October 30th, 1697. By this treaty the 



TEEATIES, CONVENTIONS, LEAGUES, ETC. 75 

power and ambition of France received a severe blow ; she 
made great concessions, and restored the acquisitions obtained 
during the preceding war. The French king also formally ac- 
knowledged the sovereignty of William the Third. 

Sanhedrim or Banhedrin.— A name given by the Jews to 
the great council of the nation, which consisted of about 
seventy members, and decided the most important causes, both 
civil and ecclesiastical. The Sanhedrim met at Jerusalem in a 
circular chamber, part of which was within and part without 
the Temple. A Jewish Sanhedrim is recorded to have been 
summoned by Napoleon at Paris in 1806. 

Solemn League and Covenant.— Charles the First endeavoured 
to impose upon the Scotch Presbyterians the episcopal govern- 
ment and the liturgy of the English Church. To resist these 
innovations, the people bound themselves by a " Solemn 
League and Covenant," and agreed to unite in defending each 
other against all violence and oppression. The misfortunes of 
Charles began here, and dissensions were sown which ultimately 
caused the overthrow of the throne. 

SoilderlbTQid. — A league of the following seven Roman Catholic 
cantons of Switzerland, namely, Lucerne, Fribourg, Uri, Schwytz, 
Unterwalden, Zug, and Valais. It was established in 1846, 
and annihilated in 1847, by the united power of the fifteen 
cantons. 

Star Chamber. — A notorious English tribunal said to have 
derived its name from the room in which it was held, a chamber 
of the House of Lords, because the ceiling was ornamented with 
gilded stars, or, according to some, because it was originally 
the place of deposit of the Jewish starrs (starra) or covenants. 
It was under the direction of the Lord Chancellor, and had 
special jurisdiction of every misdemeanour of public importance 
for which the law had provided no sufficient punishment. Its 
process was summary and often iniquitous, and the punishment 
which it inflicted in numerous cases barbarous and cruel. It 
thus constituted itself an odious auxiliary of a despotic adminis- 
tration. It became particularly oppressive in the reign of 
Charles the First, and was one of the causes of the downfall of 



76 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: 

that monarch. Its abolition in 1641 opened the way to the 
progress of English liberty. 

States General. — From the French Etats Generaux, the 
assembly of the three orders of the kingdom : the clergy, the 
nobility, and the third estate. The term is most commonly 
applied to the estates of the kingdom of the Netherlands, 
consisting of two chambers. They are called States General, 
to distinguish them from the states of the several provinces. 

Sublime Porte. — The court of the Turkish sultan, so called 
from the gate (porte) of the imperial palace. 

Swainmote. — In England, a court formerly held before the 
verderors of the forest as judges, by the steward of the court, thrice 
every year ; the swains or freeholders within the forest composing 
the jury. Its principal jurisdiction was to inquire into the oppres- 
sions and grievances committed by the officers of the forest. 

Synod. — A meeting of ecclesiastical persons to consult on 
matters of religion. Of these there are four kinds : — 1. General, 
where bishops meet from all nations. 2. National, where those 
of one nation only come together, to determine any point of 
doctrine or discipline. 3. Provincial, where those only of one 
province meet. 4. Diocesan, where those of but one diocese 
assemble, to enforce canons made by general councils or national 
and provincial synods, and to consult upon rules of discipline for 
themselves. 

Tilsit, Treaty of.— Made July 19th, 1807, between Napoleon 
Bonaparte on the one side and Kussia and Prussia on the other ; 
the place of meeting being a raft on the river Niemen. The 
effect of this treaty was, to strip Prussia of a portion of her 
possessions in order to enrich a member of the Bonaparte 
family, and to advance the interests of Russia at the expense 
of Prussia. 

Trent, Council of. — Held at Trent, a city of Austria, for a 
period of eighteen years. It was assembled in 1545, and continued 
by twenty-five sessions till 1563. The object was to correct, 
illustrate, and fix explicitly the doctrines of the Romish Church. 
Its decrees were implicitly received as the standard of faith, 



TREATIES, CONVENTIONS, LEAGUES, ETC. 77 

morals, and discipline. One of its most famous decrees was for 
the extermination of Protestants. 

Triple Alliance. — A treaty of alliance ratified between the 
States General and England against France, January 28th, 
1668. Sweden afterwards joining the league, it was known as 
the triple alliance. The object was to protect the Spanish 
Netherlands against the designs of France. 

Truce of God. — The name given to a cessation of hostilities 
between contending armies from sunset on Saturday to sunrise 
on Monday. In the eleventh century, when private feuds and 
conflicts were so general and incessant, the clergy interested 
themselves strongly to obtain a decree forbidding the use of arms 
on Sunday. Such a decree was promulgated in 1027, and has 
been confirmed by many subsequent councils. A similar regu- 
lation was adopted in England in 1042, with the difference 
of Wednesday or Friday being sometimes 'chosen instead of 
Saturday. 

Utrecht, Treaty of.— At the termination of the war of the 
Spanish succession, April 11th, 1713, the claimants to the throne 
of France and of Spain renounced their pretensions ; several 
important territories were secured to Austria and to England; 
the French king acknowledged the Hanoverian succession to the 
British crown ; and Dunkirk was given in pledge to England. 

Versailles, Peace of.-— Treaties signed between Great Britain 
and France ; between Great Britain and Spain ; and between 
Great Britain and the United States of America, September 3rd, 
1783. The result was, the loss to England of all her possessions 
in the Western Hemisphere, except Canada and Nova Scotia ; 
while France and Spain each acquired several territorial 
advantages. 

Vienna Conference.— Took place in 1855, and closed June 5th 
of that year. There were present, the plenipotentiaries of England, 
France, Austria, Turkey, and Eussia. Two points were agreed 
to, namely, the protectorate of the principalities and the free 
navigation of the Danube ; but the proposals of the powers to 
reduce the Russian strength in the Black Sea were reacted. 



76 THE HISTOEICAL FINGER-POST: 

War, Council of. — An assembly of the chief persons in 
command of sea or land forces, who, previous to any important 
movement, meet for the purpose of deliberating upon the best 
plan of proceeding. 

Westminster Assembly. — A synod convoked at Westminster, 
July 1st, 1643, by an ordinance of Parliament. It consisted of 
120 clergymen and 60 laymen, chosen from the most pious and 
learned persons in the nation. Commissioners were also sent 
from Scotland. At this synod the celebrated Confession of Faith 
was published, and the Church Catechism. 

Witenagemote. — A Saxon term, signifying literally an assembly 
of men of wisdom or wit, and applied to the great council of the 
nation, answering to our present Parliament. 

Worms, Diet of. — By this name are indicated several im- 
portant councils which were held at Worms, a town in Germany. 
The first diet was a secular assembly held in 764. The second 
diet, held in 770, comprised the barons and the prelates, who met 
to decide ecclesiastical affairs. Charlemagne held several diets 
between 772 and 785. In 829 Louis the Debonnaire assembled 
the bishops and the barons, and examined them touching certain 
resolutions that had been arrived at in the four councils of 
Mayence, Paris, Lyons, and Toulouse. The diet of 868 was a 
most important one in connection with ecclesiastical discipline ; 
it promulgated certain decisions in eighty canons and a profession 
of faith. In 890 Stephen of Rheims assembled the prelates at 
Worms, to regulate the differences existing between the Bishops 
of Cologne and Hamburg respecting the Church of Bremen. In 
1076 Henry the Fourth of Germany convoked a diet at Worms, 
and compelled his nobles and prelates to pass a decree, deposing 
Pope Gregory the Seventh. In 1521 a diet of Worms condemned 
Luther as a heretic. 

Zollverein. — A German commercial league established in 
1831 under the auspices of the Prussian government, the object 
being to secure reciprocal freedom of trade to the German states 
by the abolition of customs -restrictions on their mutual exchange 
of commodities. 



RELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 79 



SZEOTIOlSr VIII. 

RELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, 
ECCLESIASTICAL ORDERS, DIVISIONS, etc. 

Albrahamites. — A sect of heretics so called from their leader, 
Abraham, a native of Antioch. They were suppressed in the 
ninth century, upon a charge of idolatrous practices. 

Adamites. — A sect which was supposed to have existed in the 
second century. They affected the innocence of Adam, worshipped 
in a state of nudity, and when any member of their community 
had committed a crime, he was called Adam and was expelled 
me assembly, in imitation of the driving forth of Adam from 
Paradise for eating the forbidden fruit. After having subsided 
for some time, a new sect arose about the period of the 
Reformation, practising all the old absurdities and introducing 
new ones. They held their assemblies during the night-time, 
and enunciated their leading doctrine in the following maxim : 
" Swear, forswear, and reveal not the secret." 

Albigexises. — A party of reformers frequently confounded with 
the Waldenses, but from whom they differed in many views. 
They were prior in point of time ; had their origin in a different 
country, namely, the district of Albigeois, in the south of France ; 
and their doctrines were tinged with divers heresies from which 
the Waldenses were exempt. They, however, suffered a similar 
amount of persecution and from the same enemies. 

Anabaptists. — From Greek ana, again, baptizo, to baptize. 
The name of that sect which practises the re-baptizing, by 
immersion, of those who have been baptized in infancy, and also 
such as join their communion. 

Anglican Church or Church of England.— The church esta- 



80 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: 

Wished by law in the southern division of this kingdom and in 
Ireland. 

Apostolic Church.— Such Christian societies as were formed in 
the days of the Apostles, and with their sanction. 

Apostolic Fathers. — A name given to the writers of the first 
century who championed the cause of Christianity. The epistles 
written by the apostolic fathers have been translated and 
published. 

Arians. — An ancient, extensive, and important sect, so called 
from Arius, a presbyter of Alexandria in the fourth century. 
The chief doctrine of the Arians is that " the Son of God is not 
co-eternal and co-equal with the Father." Arianism is the 
leading doctrine of Unitarians, and also resolves itself into a 
systematic form of worship among the presbyters in the north 
of Ireland. 

Armenian Church. — A branch originally of the Greek Church, 
located in Armenia, a mountainous country in the west of Asia, 
between the Caspian and the Black Sea. 

Begllines. — A congregation of nuns founded either by St. 
Begghe or by Lambert de Begue. They were first established 
at Liege, and afterwards at Neville, 1207 ; from this last settle- 
ment they spread over Flanders, and thence passed into Germany. 
Their grand rule of conduct was universal charity, and their only 
motive the love of God. 

Benedictines. — An order founded by St. Benedict, in the year 
529 ; introduced into England, 596 ; suppressed under Henry the 
Eighth ; and re-established in the Netherlands, 1608. The earlier 
Benedictines were subjected to many privations and severities. 
Each monk was furnished with two coats, two cowls, a table- 
book, a knife, a needle, and • a handkerchief. They were called 
upon to perform their devotions seven times in the twenty-four 
hours, and they were compelled always to walk two together. On 
special occasions they were expected to voluntarily abandon 
food, rest, &c, and throughout the forty days of Lent they fasted 
till six o'clock in the evening. In the course of time these 
severities were relaxed, and the monks degenerated into luxury, 
vice, and idleness. 



KELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 81 

Brownists. — The original name given to those who were 
afterwards called Independents. The epithet arose from one 
Kobert Brown, who in 1580 began to inveigh openly against the 
forms and ceremonies of the Church, and to deny its supremacy. 

Buddhists. — The followers or believers in Buddha, an imagi- 
nary deity born in Hindostan about 600 B.C., and who founded a 
religion in India, which is practised in China, Japan, and Thibet 
at the present day. The Buddhists believe that the soul proceeds 
directly from God, and that if it remain uncontaminated it will 
return to him on the death of the body ; but, if otherwise, that it 
will be made to undergo various degrees of punishment and 
changes of abode. 

Calvinists. — Those who embrace the doctrine and sentiments 
of John Calvin. He was born at Noyen, in Picardy, in 1509, 
and at an early age commenced the work of reforming the 
Christian Church from Komish superstition and doctrinal errors. 
At first, the name of Calvinists was given to those who embraced 
not merely the doctrine but the church-government and dis- 
cipline established at Geneva, and was intended to distinguish 
them from Lutherans ; but since the meeting of the Synod of 
Dort, this appellation has been chiefly applied to those who 
embrace his leading views of the Gospel, and is intended to 
distinguish them from the Arminians. 

Cameronians. — One of the names by which a sect of dissenters 
in Scotland is designated. They derive their name from 
Eichard Cameron, who was killed in 1680 while fighting at the 
head of his adherents against the royal troops. They subse- 
quently assumed the name of Old Presbyterian Dissenters. 

Carmelites. — One of the four orders of mendicant friars ; 
receiving their name from Mount Carmel, where they were 
originally established. They pretend to be descended from the 
prophet Elijah, and show a cave in which they say the prophet 
lived. 

Carthusians. — A religious order founded in 1080 in the 
desert of Chartreux, in the diocese of Grenoble, France. The 
rules of this body were very severe : they were never to eat 
flesh ; to fast every Friday on bread and water ; to take their 



82 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

meals in solitude ; and never to walk abroad. The Charter- 
house in London was originally a convent of Carthusians. 

Cateclramens. — The lowest order of Christians in the ancient 
Church. They were denominated Catechumens, from the Greek 
word katechizo, which signifies to instruct in the first rudiments 
of any art or science. They had some title to the common 
name of Christians, being a degree above pagans and heretics, 
though not consummated by baptism ; but, however great their 
piety, a distinction was made between them and the " believers," 
or such as had been baptized. 

Cistercians. — A religious order of the eleventh century founded 
at Citeaux, near Chalons, upon the rule of St. Benedict, which 
they were rigidly to observe. They spread rapidly through most 
parts of Europe, grew exceedingly rich, and eventually acquired 
the form and privileges of a spiritual republic, exercising a sort 
of dominion over all other monastic orders. In the course of 
time, they degenerated like other orders, and lost their power and 
influence. 

Confucians. — The disciples of Confucius, a celebrated Chinese 
philosopher who is supposed to have lived about 500 years before 
the Christian era. This religion, which is professed by the most 
intelligent and eminent among the Chinese, consists in a 
deep inward veneration for the God or King of Heaven, and in 
the practice of every moral virtue. They have neither temples, 
priests, nor any settled form of external worship ; every one 
adores the Supreme Being in the manner he deems most fit. 

Cordeliers. — A minor religious order of Franciscans instituted 
in 1223, and so designated from a cord that was tied round their 
waist instead of a girdle. 

Dissenters. — A general term, comprehending all who dissent 
from the religion by law established ; the chief denominations of 
whom in this country are, Presbyterians, Independents, and 
Baptists. 

Dominicans. — An order of monks known also by the names of 
Preaching Friars, Black Friars, and Jacobins ; founded in the 
early part of the twelfth century by Dominic de Guzman, a 



RELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 83 

Spaniard. They were notorious for the laxity of their morals, 
their wandering habits, and especially for their opposition to the 
Franciscans. The Dominican order exists chiefly in Spain and 
Portugal. 

Donatists. — A denomination that arose in Africa in the early 
part of the fourth century, and derived their name from Donatus, 
a learned bishop of Numidia. They maintained that their com- 
munity was alone to be considered as the true church, and 
avoided all communication with other churches, from an appre- 
hension of contracting their impurity and corruption. 

Dniids. — The priests or religious preceptors of the ancient 
Gauls, Britons, and Germans. They performed their religious 
worship in groves of oak, and paid peculiar honours to the 
misletoe. They believed in a Supreme Being, and also in the 
existence of lesser deities, supposed to act as agents or mes- 
sengers. They taught the immortality of the soul, but at the 
same time asserted that it passed from one body to another. 
The partaking of flesh, milk, or eggs, was deemed highly 
criminal, upon the supposition that human souls inhabited animal 
bodies. Prisoners taken in battle were sacrificed to the gods 
upon high festivals ; and, from the manner in which the blood 
flowed from the victim, the sacrificing priest pretended to foretell 
the future. 

Druses. — A people of Syria who inhabit the Castravan and 
Lebanon mountains, and who derive their origin from a sect of 
Mahomedans about the commencement of the eleventh century. 
They are under the Turkish rule, and speak Arabic. Their 
religion is a strange medley of doctrines, Christian, Judaic, and 
Mussulman. They can neither read nor write, and occupy 
themselves solely in the cultivation of the vine and the olive, and 
in the manufacture of tobacco and silk. 

Early Reformers. — A name given in common to Luther, 
Calvin, Knox, and others, who were the first to reform the errors 
of the Romish Church as affecting Protestantism. 

Encratites. — A sect of the second century, which condemned 
marriage, forbade the eating of flesh or the drinking of wine, 



84 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

rejected all the comforts and conveniences of life, and practised 
great mortification of the body. They also denied the reality of 
our Lord's suffering. 

Episcopalians. — Those who advocate Episcopacy, or that form 
of church government in which are established three distinct 
orders — bishops, priests or presbyters, and deacons— the bishops 
having a superiority over both the others. 

Erastians. — The followers of Erastus, a German divine of the 
sixteenth century. According to him, the pastoral office was 
persuasive without the power of inflicting punishment or visiting 
with censure. 

Evangelical. — The literal meaning of this term is, " Agreeable 
to the gospels," but it is generally applied by way of reproach to 
those clergymen who, although acknowledging the supremacy of 
the Church, are nevertheless ready to co-operate with Dissenters 
in the furtherance of any scheme which has for its object the 
promotion of Christianity, whether it be conducive or not to the 
exclusive interest of the Establishment. 

Fakirs. — Hindoo monks or devotees. They are distinguished 
by their fanaticism and secluded habits. Their chief aim is to 
gain the veneration and applause of mankind, by mortifications, 
penances, and personal chastisement. Like the Stylites, they 
will sometimes remain for protracted periods in one position with- 
out lying down. Another class of Fakirs exists, who make a vow 
to poverty, and wander from place to place pretending to foretell 
events. 

Feuillants. — A reformed order of Cistercian monks who affected 
the greatest austerities ; they went barefoot, drank only from the 
skulls of the dead, and lived upon herb-broth and black bread. 
In 1630 the French and Italian members of the society were 
separated, and each party had a general assigned it. 

Fifth Monarchy Men.— A party of enthusiasts who arose in 
England during the time of the Commonwealth, and maintained 
that there would be & fifth universal monarchy under the personal 
reign of Jesus Christ upon earth. The four other great mon- 
archies implied were Assyria, Persia, Greece, and Eome. These 
fanatics arose in insurrection in London, and fought desperately 



RELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 85 

against the military that were called out to suppress them. The 
result was that several of them were killed, and others taken, 
tried, and executed. 

Flagellants. — From the Latin flagellare, to whip. A denomi- 
nation which had its origin in Italy in 1260, its followers believing 
in the efficacy of scourging or whipping, as a propitiation for sin. 
At one period this species of fanaticism seized upon all ranks, 
and persons of every sex and age ; so much so, that the streets 
became crowded with devotees, who, as they went along, applied 
whips to their naked backs and shoulders, at the same time 
uttering loud entreaties for divine forgiveness. The excesses 
and extravagance of this fraternity at length attained to such 
a height, that the Pope thought it necessary to interpose his 
authority, and to denounce the fanaticism of the Flagellants 
as an impious and pernicious heresy. Since that time nothing 
more has been heard of a fraternity of that sort. 

Franciscans. — A name given in common to all the various 
members of a religious order, founded in 1208 at Naples by 
St. Francis, who was originally the son of a merchant of Assisi, 
in the province of Umbria. The Franciscans were zealous and 
active friends to the papal hierarchy, and in return were dis- 
tinguished by peculiar privileges and honourable employments. 
The original order of Franciscans has given birth to numerous 
sub-orders scattered throughout France, Italy, Spain, and other 
Roman Catholic countries. 

Freethinkers. — Persons who reject revelation, and disbelieve 
in the Deity. The name originated in England in 1718, among 
a party advocating freedom of thought in religious matters, 
a doctrine still further carried out by the establishment of a 
journal entitled " The Freethinker." Hume, Bolingbroke, and 
Voltaire are the most conspicuous names in connection with 
this spirit of scepticism. 

Gallican Church. — The so-called Church of France, under the 
government of its respective bishops and pastors. 

Gnostics.— From the Greek gnosis, knowledge. The origin of 
this class of religionists is derived from certain men, who, in the 
earliest times, rejected the simplicity of the gospel, and inter- 



86 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

preting the New Testament by dogmas of their own, pretended 
to discover in the sacred writings hidden mysteries and obscure 
meanings. In a word, they were the mere speculators and refiners 
of revealed religion. Their belief that evil resided in matter 
led them to reject the doctrine of the resurrection of the body; 
and their faith in the power of malevolent genii — in their eyes, 
the sources of all earthly calamity — encouraged them to have 
recourse to the study of magic, in order to avert or weaken the 
influence of those malignant agents. 

Greek Church. — That portion of professing Christians who 
conform in their creed, practices, and church government to 
the views of Christianity introduced into the ancient Greek 
empire, and matured since the fifth century under the patriarchs 
of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. The 
Greek Church comprehends a considerable part of Greece, the 
Grecian Isles, Wallachia, Moldavia, Egypt, Abyssinia, Nubia, 
Lybia, Arabia, Mesopotamia, Syria, Cilicia, and Palestine ; 
Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem ; the whole of the Russian 
empire in Europe ; great part of Siberia in Asia ; Astrachan, 
Casan, and Georgia. 

Higil Church. — That teaching and practice of the established 
religion, which are characterized by a species of exclusiveness 
and are strongly opposed to all dissent. 

Hospitallers, called also Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, 
Knights of Malta, and Knights of Rhodes, instituted in the 
twelfth century, for the special purpose of relieving and assisting 
the vast number of pilgrims who visited the Holy Land. To 
forward this object they founded a hospital for the reception of 
pilgrims : hence their name. 

Huguenots.— A term applied to the French Protestants in 1561. 
The origin of it is uncertain, by some authorities the derivation 
is traced to Hugon, the name of a gate at Tours, where the 
Protestants first assembled, others derive it from their original 
protest or confession of faith : Hoc non venimus, &c. ; others 
from Hugues a Genevese Calvinist, and one of their early 
leaders. — See Massacre of St. Bartholomew. 

Humanitarians.— Those who believe in " the simple humanity 



ETC. 87 

of Christ," assuming that he was nothing more than a mere man, 
born according to the usual course of nature, and living and 
dying agreeably to the ordinary circumstances of mankind. 

Hussites. — The followers of John Huss, an eminent divine of 
Bohemia. He adopted the opinions of Wickliffe, and suffered 
martyrdom. His followers determined upon revenging his 
death, and waged war against the Pope. The struggle lasted 
for nearly twenty years, during which interval the Hussites 
gained several important victories, and executed a work of 
signal destruction and bloodshed. A compromise was at length 
effected between the contending parties ; the Hussites gradually 
lost their identity, and were finally merged into other communities. 

Iconoclasts. — Breakers of images ; a name given to those 
who opposed the use of images in churches, and who on certain 
occasions vented their zeal in destroying them. The Church of 
Eome thus designates all who reject the use of images in 
religious matters. 

Independents. — A denomination of Protestants in England 
and Holland, originally called Brownists. Their name is 
derived from the doctrine they held, that every particular 
congregation of Christians has, according to the New Testament, 
a full power of ecclesiastical jurisdiction over its members, 
independent of the authority of bishops, synods, presbyteries, 
or any other ecclesiastical assemblies. 

Islamism. — The practice and doctrine of the Mohammedan 
faith, combining its civil and religious polity. 

Jansenists. — A sect of Roman Catholics in France, formed in 
1640, who followed the opinions of Jansenius, Bishop of Ypres, 
in relation to grace and predestination, and who especially 
maintained the doctrine, that man is not a free agent. 

Jesuits. — Members of the Society of Jesus, a religious order 
of the Romish Church, founded in the sixteenth century, by 
Ignatius Loyola, a Spanish knight. This society was at one 
period the most numerous, powerful, and wealthy of any that 
has ever been established ; so much so that the Jesuits long- 
excited the jealousy of most of the European powers, and they 
were finally expelled one dominion after the other and suppressed. 



THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 



On the restoration of the Bourbons, the order was revived, and 
it has to some extent regained its former position. The Jesuits 
uphold more strongly than any other order the infallibility of 
the Pope ; they maintain that so long as the Divine laws are 
observed, it is a matter of perfect indifference from what motive 
they are obeyed ; they recommend a devout ignorance to such as 
submit to their direction, and an unquestioning obedience to the 
orders of the Church. 

Lady Huntingdon's Connection. — A denomination founded by 
the Countess of Huntingdon, about 1740. It partakes largely of 
the doctrines and practice of the followers of Whitfield. 

Latitudinarians. — Persons who do not conform to or hold any 
determinate or exclusive views of doctrine or worship, and who 
assume that men of all denominations, and of every creed, will 
share the same chance of salvation. The term was specially 
applied to a certain number of divines, who, in the seventeenth 
century, attempted to bring Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and 
Independents, into one communion. 

Latter-day Saints. — See Mormonites. 

Lay Brothers. — The lowest class of monks, who perform the 
meanest and most servile offices of the establishment to which 
they are attached, and are a species of monastic servant. 

Lollards. — A name originally given to a class of public 
singers, who chanted funeral services over the dead. It was also 
applied by way of reproach to the followers of Wickliffe, from 
their attachment to the singing of hymns ; and further, the 
name has been associated with such as wore an outward sem- 
blance of extreme piety, while they were secretly committing the 
most heinous offences against religion. A sect, however, bearing 
the name of Lollards, succeeded in obtaining the Pope's bull in 
1472, by which the society became enrolled among the religious 
rders ; and further concessions were granted in 1506. 

Low Church. — Opposed to High Church, allowing greater 
latitude of doctrine, and tolerant of Dissenters. 

Lutherans. — The disciples and followers of Martin Luther, the 
celebrated reformer, who was born in 1483. The Lutherans are 
generally divided into the Moderate and the Rigid. The 



KELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 89 

Moderate are those who submitted to " the Interim," published 
by Charles the Fifth ; the Eigid those who do not countenance 
any change in their master's sentiments. Many other parties 
have also sprung out of the original, on the discussion of parti- 
cular points of controversy. 

Manichaeans, or Manichees. — A sect originating in the latter 
part of the third century, founded by a Persian named Mani, 
Manes, or Manichseus. The doctrines promulgated by this sect 
were an incongruous medley of the tenets of Christianity with 
the ancient philosophy of the Persians ; the two systems so 
accommodating themselves, that the character and actions which 
the Persians attributed to the god Mithras are also applied to 
Jesus Christ. 

Maronites. — Greek Christians who inhabit a district of country 
called Maronia, extending from the ridge of Mount Lebanon to 
the shores of Tripoli, in Syria. The supremacy of the Pope 
among them is merely nominal ; the clergy elect their own chiefs, 
the head of whom is called the Patriarch of Antioch. They 
have the reputation of being a simple, honest, and industrious 
race of people. 

Materialists. — The materialists of modern times are those who 
maintain that the soul of man is material, in other words, that 
man does not consist of two substances, essentially different from 
each other, but is of uniform composition ; and that the con- 
scious principle, or what is generally termed the soul, is merely 
a property resulting from such an organic structure as that of 
the brain. 

Mendicant Friars. — Under this head are included several 
religious orders in Romish countries, which, having no settled 
revenues, are supported by charitable contributions. They were 
instituted by Pope Innocent the Third, in 1215. Their affectation 
of humility and poverty, travelling bare-footed, with a cord for a 
girdle round their loins, and begging from door to door, 
awakened at once the sympathy and the influence of the people, 
and rendered them formidable instruments in the cause of 
ignorance and superstition. 

Methodists. — An epithet applied originally by way of derision 



90 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: 

to the Wesleyans, in allusion to the regularity and methodical 
habits of their lives. The term has. been since adopted by the 
Wesleyans themselves. 

Mohammedans. — The followers of Mohammed, who was born 
in 570 at Mecca, a city of Arabia, and died at Medina, 631 
Mohammedanism is a compound of Paganism, Judaism, and 
Christianity ; it is professed by the majority of the inhabitants of 
Turkey in Europe and Asia, of Persia and Arabia, of Egypt, and 
of the greater portion of Africa. 

Moravians. — The name of Moravians was in England given to 
those members of a foreign Protestant Church, known as the 
United Brethren, who formerly resided in Moravia. This church 
originally consisted of three branches, Bohemian, Moravian, and 
Polish ; and upon a portion of the Moravian branch coming to 
England in 1728, the appellation was given. 

Mormonites. — Called also Latter-day Saints, believers in the 
doctrines of the " Book of Mormon," which Joseph Smith, their 
so-called prophet, pretended was a revelation from heaven. In 
1830, Smith succeeded in prevailing upon a number of weak and 
credulous people to dispose of their property, and to 
follow him to the " New Zion," which he was commanded to 
establish. Accordingly, in 1831-2, Smith and his disciples esta- 
blished themselves in Jackson county, Missouri ; but, after 
enduring much persecution for many years, and shifting from 
place to place, they, in 1847, settled at the Great Salt Lake. 
From this period they commenced to prosper, and in 1850, their 
colony, under the name of Utah, was recognised as one of the 
United States. ^Their society is now very numerous, and some of 
its members are to be found in England and other countries. The 
Mormonites permit polygamy, and, as a consequence, some of the 
most revolting and atrocious acts are said to be commonly prac- 
tised among them. 

Muggletonians. — A denomination which arose in England 
about the year 1657 ; so called from their leader Ludovick 
Muggleton, a journeyman tailor, who with his associate Reeves 
set up for prophets — Reeves to act the part of Moses, and 
Muggleton to be his mouth. For some time this society found 



RELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 91 

favour with the lower orders, and their worship, which was 
conducted with the accompaniments of smoking and drinking, 
was - celebrated in several parts of the country ; but when the 
novelty of the affair wore off, the sect soon became extinct. 

Nonconformists. — Those who refuse to conform to the 
doctrines and practices of the Established Church. The term is 
historically applied to those ministers who were ejected from 
their livings by the Act of Uniformity, in 1662. The number of 
these was about two thousand. 

Pagans. — Another name for Heathens, or those who worship 
idols and false gods. They were so called by the early Christians, 
because, when upon the establishment of Christianity the worship 
of heathen deities was forbidden in cities, the adherents of the 
former practices retired to villages and remote country places, 
where they might worship in security. The Latin for village is 
pagus, for villagers or countrymen, pagani. 

Pantheists.— From the Greek pan, the whole, theos, God. A 
species of philosophical atheists, who regard the universe as the 
Supreme God. About 1750, a set of philosophical idolaters, 
calling themselves Pantheists, established themselves in England, 
professing the worship of all Nature as their deity. They had a 
secretary, chaplain, and other officials, and composed for their 
use, a liturgy in Latin. 

Penitents. — A title which, in Roman Catholic countries, was 
conferred upon certain religious fraternities distinguished by 
their parti-coloured garments. Of these there were a great 
variety in France, Spain, and Portugal. The most conspicuous 
were the White Penitents, who appeared in the north of Italy in 
1399, clothed in white and bearing crucifixes, and giving out that 
the end of the world was at hand. A species of religious mania 
was thus occasioned, which spread over the whole of Italy ; it 
lasted, however, but a few months. 

Presbyterians. — From the Greek word presfajteros, senior or 
elder ; and the Presbyterians . are so denominated from their 
maintaining that the government of the Church appointed in the 
New Testament was by presbyteries, that is, by associations of 
ministers and ruling elders, all possessed of equal powers, 



92 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

without any superiority among them, either in office or in orders. 
The Church of Scotland admits only this one order of clergy, and 
her members are hence called Presbyterians. 

Primitive Christians. — Those who lived in the first ages of 
Christianity, especially the holy Apostles and their more imme- 
diate followers. 

Propaganda. — A name originally given to those institutions 
belonging to the Romish Church, and which were erected by the 
papal court with the view of extending its power among those 
who are not within its pale. During the French Revolution the 
term was applied to those secret societies which fostered 
democratic principles ; and it has since come to signify any 
institution or organization for the promotion of special schemes , 
either political or religious. 

Puritans. — A term applied to those who advocated greater 
reforms in the Church than were adopted by Queen Elizabeth ; 
and a purer form of discipline and worship. Up till the year 
1662 the name of Puritan was commonly given to all who 
disapproved of the established religion as then prevailing. The 
term Nonconformist was then substituted, and to this has 
succeeded that of Dissenter. 

Puseyites. — A name given to those members of the Church of 
England who introduce into their worship certain forms and 
ceremonies which are not observed in Protestant Churches 
generally. The term is derived from Dr. Pusey, an Oxford 
professor, who is charged (falsely, he alleges) with having 
originated these innovations. 

Quakers. — The popular name of a community who denominated 
themselves the Society of Friends. The term was applied by 
way of derision, and is said to have arisen from George Fox, the 
originator of the Society, having bidden the magistrate who 
committed him to prison to " quake at the word of the Lord." 
This sect took its rise in England in 1647 ; but the persecutions 
to which the members were subjected induced numbers of them 
to emigrate to North America. On the Restoration, they secured 
the good services and protection of Charles the Second, who 



RELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 93 

granted to William Penn the province thence called Penn- 
sylvania. Their doctrines, mode of worship, and peculiar habits 
are well known. 

Quietists.— The disciples of Michael de Molinos, a Spanish 
priest, who flourished in the seventeenth century. The doctrine 
of the sect was that when the soul arrived at that state of 
perfection which they called " unitive life," and which consisted 
of a kind of absolute rest and inaction, they then considered it to 
be wholly employed in contemplating its God, to whose influence 
it was entirely submissive, so that he might turn and direct it 
when and how he would. 

Ranters. — A sect which sprang up in 1645, and advocated the 
light of nature under the name of Christ within. This title is 
also given to a denomination otherwise known as the Primitive 
Methodists, who conduct their service in a noisy manner, parade 
the streets singing hymns, and allow females to preach. 

Recusants. — Those who refuse to acknowledge the sovereign's 
supremacy, and declare the Pope, and none other, to be the 
supreme head of the Church. 

Reformed Church— Comprises the whole of the Protestant 
churches in Europe and America, whether Lutheran, Calvinistic, 
Baptist, Independent, Quaker, or any other denomination who 
dissent from the Church of Rome. The term reformed is now, 
however, used on the continent of Europe to distinguish the 
Calvinists from the Lutherans. 

Remonstrants. — Another name for the Arminians, given by 
reason of the " Remonstrance," which in 1610 they made to the 
States of Holland against the sentence of the Synod of Dort, 
which condemned them as heretics. 

Sabbatarians. — Those who observe the seventh day as the 
Sabbath, and reject the first day. Such persons regard the original 
command for observance of the seventh day as universal and 
perpetual ; and maintain that the change to the first day was 
not made by divine authority, but by the Emperor Constantine, 
on his embracing Christianity. 

St. Bernard, Monks of. — A large community of monks who 



94 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

live in a convent on the summit of the Great St. Bernard, and 
who there entertain travellers. The name is derived from 
Bernardine Menthon who founded the order in 962. 

Sarabites. — Certain begging friars of the fourth century, who 
wandered about the country selling relics, and otherwise practising 
upon the credulity and ignorance of their victims. 

Schoolmen. — A set of men in the twelfth, thirteenth, and 
fourteenth centuries, who framed a new sort of divinity, called 
Scholastic Theology. It was founded upon the philosophy of 
Aristotle, and lay principally in contending for abstruse and 
difficult points of doctrine. Their aim was to subvert Christianity 
and to advance Popish doctrines. 

Servites.— That is, Servants of the Virgin. A religious order 
founded in Florence, in 1223. It was reformed in 1593, and 
still exists in Italy. There are also nuns of this order. 

Shakers.— These people were an off-shoot from the Quakers. 
They promulgated their opinions in 1747 under the leadership of 
one Wardley, a tailor. They declared that " the second appear- 
ance of Christ was at hand, and the Church would arise in her 
full glory, and compass the downfall of Anti-Christ." They are 
called Shakers, and admit the denomination to be a proper one, 
from the shaking of their bodies in religious exercises. These 
consist in dancing, leaping, and spinning around, at the same 
time clapping their hands, shouting, singing, and making other 
strange noises. A very limited number of this sect exists 
at the present day, and they belong to America rather than 
England. 

Simonians.— An infidel sect recently organized in Paris and 
founded by the Count de St. Simon, a nobleman of some learning 
but of no estate. The fundamental principle of this sect is 
that religion is to perfect the social condition of man ; therefore, 
Christianity is no longer suitable for society, because it separates 
the Christian from other men, and leads him to live for another 
world. 

Sisters of Charity— An order of female devotees founded in 
1617, whose mission it is to succour the sick poor. They are to 
be found in most of the countries throughout Europe, and in 



RELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 95 

addition to their charitable works are known for the simplicity 
of their habits and the purity of their lives. 

Socinians. — A denomination which arose in the sixteenth 
century, deriving its name from Faustus Socinus, its founder. 
The chief article of their faith is Unitarianism, and they deny the 
divinity of our Saviour. This sect is not at present very 
numerous and is confined chiefly to England. 

Sophi. — A Persian word employed to designate a class of 
religious persons, otherwise termed dervishes, which see. 

Stylites or Pillar Saints. — From the Greek stylos, a pillar. 
The disciples of this most extraordinary sect were in the habit 
of standing motionless on the tops of pillars raised expressly for 
this exercise of their patience, and there they would remain for 
several years amidst the admiration and applause of the populace. 
The originator of this discipline was Simeon, a Syrian, and a 
famous anchorite of the fifth century, who passed thirty-seven 
years of his life upon pillars of various heights. The tops of the 
columns thus employed were only three feet in diameter, and 
were defended by a rail that reached almost to the girdle ; there 
was no possibility of lying down. 

Swedenborgians. — The followers of Baron Swedenborg, born 
at Stockholm, 1688 ; died in London, 1772. Swedenborg pre- 
tended that the Almighty had manifested himself to him in a 
vision, and had so opened his spiritual eyes as to enable him to 
converse with spirits and angels. The communications received 
in these supposed visions enter largely into the principles and 
practices adopted by his disciples. 

Tabernacle Connection. — A branch of the Wesleyan Metho- 
dists, formed by Whitfield, and so called from the name given to 
several places of worship in London, Bristol, &c. 

Templars. — A purely military order, founded 1118, whose 
duty it was to guard the roads on the way to the Holy Land, and 
to protect the Christians from the Mohammedans. Their wealth 
and power became in the end so great, as to excite the cupidity 
and envy of the French kings, and they were accordingly sub- 
jected to great persecution and plunder. Their name was derived 
from a palace adjoining Jerusalem. 



96 THE HISTOKICAL FINGER-POST : 

Thomists. — The followers of Thomas Aquinas, in opposition 
to Duns Scotus, in the fourteenth century, on the doctrines of 
grace, and on some metaphysical speculations. 

Tractarianism. — A term of similar significance to Puseyism, 
and derived from certain continuous publications known as 
" Tracts for the Times," in which the Puseyite theory was pro- 
pounded. Dr. Pusey was one of the principal authors of these 
tracts, assisted by other clergymen of the Church of England, 
some of whom have since embraced the Roman Catholic faith. 

Trappists. — An order of monks originally attached to the 
abbey of La Trappe in Normandy, founded to the 1140. The 
monks of La Trappe are represented as passing a life of great 
self-denial and austerity. The rules of their order command 
silence, prayer, reading, and manual labour, and at the same 
time forbid study, or the partaking of wine, fish, and many 
other luxuries. 

Ubiquists. — From the Latin ubique, everywhere. A sect of 
Lutherans who arose in the sixteenth century, and maintained 
that the body of Christ was everywhere and in every place. On 
this point, however, they had divided opinions, some holding 
that Christ was everywhere during his mortal life, and others 
dating the ubiquity of his body from the time of his ascension. 

Unitarians. — A comprehensive term, including all who believe 
the Deity to subsist in one person only. 

Ursulines. — An order of nuns founded originally by St. Angela 
of Brescia, in the year 1537, and so called from St. Ursula, to 
whom they were dedicated. Originally, these religious were 
young ladies of the first families in Brescia, not living in com- 
munity, but dwelling apart at their homes. Their employment 
was, to attend to the sick, to comfort the afflicted, to relieve the 
poor, and to instruct the ignorant. In process of time, their 
operations extended, and they began to live in community and 
to embrace the regular life ; the first establishment of Ursulines 
being at Paris in 1604. From that period, their chief employ- 
ment was the instruction of females, and their monasteries became 
schools where young ladies of the best families received their 
education. 



RELIGIOUS SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS, ETC. 97 

Waldenses. — A sect of religious reformers whose origin is 
dated about 1160. They were most numerous in the valleys of 
the Alps between Italy and Provence, the inhabitants of which 
were designated the Vaudois; hence, according to some authorities, 
the denomination : others derive it from Peter Waldo, one oi 
their earliest and most prominent leaders. No sooner was this 
community formed than it was strenuously opposed by the rulers 
of the Church — without success, however, for in an incredibly 
short space of time their numbers increased and spread through- 
out Europe. Their chief aim was to restore the primitive purity 
of the Church, and free it from such mummeries and superstitions 
as had been introduced by ignorant and designing priests. They 
practised extreme austerity, and rigorously and literally adopted 
the moral precepts inculcated in the New Testament. They 
consequently prohibited war, suits at law, and all attempts 
towards the acquisition of wealth. During the greater part oi 
the seventeenth century, the Waldenses were persecuted in a 
most cruel manner by the ministers of Rome. Their utter 
extinction was determined upon, and a few only of them were 
saved from a general massacre by the interposition of the English 
and Dutch Governments. 

Wesleyaiis. — A numerous religious community founded by 
John Wesley and his brother Charles in 1727. Their tenets are 
nearly identical with those of the Arminians. Since the original 
formation of this sect five separations have taken place, but it is 
still a large and influential denomination. 

Western Church, or Latin Church — Comprehends all the 
churches of Italy, Portugal, Spain, Africa, and all other countries 
whither the Romans carried their language. Great Britain, part 
of the Netherlands, of Germany, and of the North of Europe, 
have been separated from it almost ever since the Reformation. 



98 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 



SECTIOIT IX. 

PHILOSOPHIES, SYSTEMS, DOCTRINES, etc. 

Aristotelian Philosophy is that which was taught by Aristotle 
and maintained by his followers ; it is also called Peripatetic 
Philosophy. 

Bell's System. — A system of general instruction upon the 
mutual principle which was promulgated by Dr. Bell in opposition 
to the Lancasterian system — Lancaster being a Dissenter, and 
Bell a Churchman. 

Benthamites. — The disciples of Jeremy Bentham, a celebrated 
metaphysician and writer upon jurisprudence. The main theory 
with which this sect is identified is, that interest is the sole 
motive of our actions, and that the only principle of government 
should be " the greatest happiness for the greatest number." 

Brahe' Tycho, System of. — An astronomical system com- 
pounded from the theories of Ptolemy and Copernicus by Tycho 
Brahe in 1580. It consists in supposing that the stars all move 
round the earth, as in the Ptolemaic system. That all the 
planets, except the earth, move round the sun, as in the 
Copernican system. That the sun, and the imaginary orbits in 
which the planets are moving are carried round the earth. 

Cartesians. — A philosophical sect, the followers of Renes des 
Cartes, a celebrated French philosopher of the seventeenth 
century. He admitted two kinds of being — body and mind ; the 
latter of which, in man, exercised its authority over the body by 
the agency of the brain. To other animals, he. denied not only 
mind and reason, but even thought and sensation, and regarded 
them as mere automata. 

Copernican System. — That system of heavenly bodies which 
was first made public in a work published by Nicholas Copernicus 



PHILOSOPHIES, SYSTEMS, DOCTBXNES, ETC. 99 

in 1543. It supposes the sun to be at rest in the centre, and the 
earth and planets to revolve around him in their orbits ; and 
hence it is also called the Solar system. It is also identical with 
the Pythagorean system. 

Cynics. — Philosophers who exhibited a contempt for everything, 
especially riches and state, arts and sciences, all except morality. 

Cyrenaic Philosophy. — So called from Aristippus of Cyrene. 
It inclined to luxury, and held in contempt virtue or the welfare 
of society. 

Dogmatists. — An ancient sect of physicians, of which Hippo- 
crates and Galen were at the head. They supposed principles, 
and from them drew inferences applicable to particular eases ; 
they were opposed: to. the empirici or theorists, who answer to the 
quacks of modern days. 

Eclectics. — A sect of philosophers connected with the Christian 
Church which arose towards the close of the second century. 
They held Plato in the highest esteem, but with his doctrines 
they associated whatever they deemed conformable to reason in 
the tenets of other philosophers. 

Economists. — A sect of philosophers in France who are 
accused of distributing the writings of Voltaire and other 
sceptics, for the purpose of engendering a disbelief in divine 
revelation. They were called Economists, because they professed 
to plead the distresses of the poor, by recommending an 
economical expenditure of the public revenue, and by general 
economy in the administration of finance, 

Eleatic Philosophy. — So called from Elea, a Grecian colony 
on the western coast of Lower Italy, where Xenophanes of 
Colophon founded a school distinguished by its bold attempt to 
construct a system of the universe upon metaphysical principles. 
The leading position of this philosophy is, that the world and the 
Deity are one. 

Encyclopedists. — A set of philosophers, writers, and distin- 
guished men of France, including Voltaire, Diderot, D'Alembert, 
Montesquieu, Turgot, Helvetius, Marmontel, Necker, Duclos, 
Condillac T and others, who were concerned in the production of 

an extensive publication entitled : Encyclopedia ; ou Dictiomaire 
Ltir'C. e2 



100 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

raisonne des sciences, des arts, et des metiers. This work which 
professed to be a species of universal dictionary, was in point oi 
fact an elaborate and stupendous attack upon religion from every 
point where an opportunity offered. Another object of this work 
was to subvert all constituted government, and in this direction 
it paved the way to the first French Eevolution. 

Epicurean Philosophy. — So named from Epicurus, a Greek 
philosopher, born 342 B.C. He taught that the greatest good 
consists in a happiness springing, not from sensual gratification 
or vicious pleasures, but from virtue ; the practice of which he 
inculcated, not for its own • sake but for its connection with 
happiness. He recommended wisdom, moderation, temperance, 
seclusion from political affairs, gentleness, forbearance towards 
the self-love of men, firmness of soul, the enjoyment of decent 
pleasures, and contempt of life. Freedom from pain he regarded 
as desirable, but when unavoidable advised that it should be 
borne with fortitude. 

Fourierism. — A system of association founded by Charles 
Fourier. This philosophy attempts to prove that our affections, 
desires, passions, &c, rightly impel us to seek their gratification, 
and that it is because they are not permitted to develope them- 
selves naturally and harmoniously within the limits of wise social 
arrangements, that they so often lead to vice instead of to virtue, 
to misery instead of to happiness. Upon this basis, Fourier seeks 
to erect a new social structure in which capital, skill, and labour 
shall, each in its place, work harmoniously together for the 
general good, and under circumstances calculated to render our 
duty pleasant and remunerative, and to cause men to be 
enlightened, friendly, and happy. 

Gall and Spnrzheim's System.— Another name for the system 
of Phrenology, so called from the founders Drs. Gall and Spurz- 
heim, who conjointly taught their theory from the year 1800 to 
1828. 

Kegelianism— The system of philosophy founded by Hegel, a 
German logician, born 1770, died 1831. 

Ideology.— The science of ideas or mind. A term by which 
the later disciples of Condillac, under the French Directory and 



PHILOSOPHIES, SYSTEMS, DOCTRINES, ETC. 101 

the Empire, have designated the history and evolution of human 
ideas, considered as so many successive modes of certain original 
or transformed sensations. 

Ionic Sect. — A sect of philosophers founded by Thales of 
Miletus, in Ionia ; their distinguishing tenet was, that water was 
the principle or base of all natural things. 

Kantism. — That system of logic, metaphysics, &c, founded by 
Immanuel Kant, a native of Konigsberg, Prussia, who died in 
1804. 

Kepler's Laws. — In astronomy, the laws of the planetary 
motions, first discovered and demonstrated by Kepler in the 
early part of the seventeenth century. These laws are three in 
number, namely : — 1. That the planets describe ellipses, each of 
which has one of its foci in the same point — the centre of the 
sun. 2. That every planet moves so that the line drawn from it 
to the sun describes about the sun areas proportional to the 
times. 3. That the squares of the times of the devolutions of the 
planets are as the cubes of their mean distances from the sun. 

Lamarck's Theory. — From a distinguished French naturalist 
of that name, born 1744, died 1829. He supposed that all 
animated beings commenced at the lowest stage, and that the 
constant efforts made by individuals of the then universal species, 
succeeded in the attainment of new properties, which again were 
surmounted by the results of fresh efforts on the part of other 
individuals ; till from the minute fleshy animalcule, hardly 
distinguishable from the plants, we have all the wonderfully 
variegated kingdom of animated nature, and man at its head, as 
the crowning effort placed him there. 

Lancasterian System. — A system of general instruction 
devised by Joseph Lancaster, a member of the Society of 
Friends, who died in 1838. In this system, much depended upon 
mutual instruction; it was also unsectarian, the Bible only 
being used as a means of religious instruction. 

Laplace's Theory. — A system of astronomy, propounded by 
Laplace, a French philosopher, born 1749, died 1827. This 
system was comprised in numerous theories propounded by Mm 
in a work known as La Mecanique Celeste. 



102 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Llimgean System. — A scientific arrangement of all natural 
objects, as animals, plants, and minerals, into three kingdoms — 
subdivided into classes, orders, genera, species, and varieties— with 
a description of their generic and specific characters. So called 
from Charles Linne, the distinguished Swedish naturalist, who 
died in 1778. 

Machiavellian Policy. — Certain principles of conduct laid 
down in the writings of Machiavelli, an eminent Italian politician, 
who flourished at the early part of the sixteenth century. 
The leading idea is, that men should shape their conduct with a 
view to their own interest,, or that of their faction or country, 
as separate and distinct from the great interests of mankind. 
That the intrinsic merit of virtue, or the natural deformity of 
vice, are subsidiary considerations to party requirements and 
political need. 

Malebranchism.— The doctrine of Male bran che,. an eminent 
French metaphysician, who was born 1638. His system is 
contained in a work entitled Recherche de la Verite. The views 
propounded closely resemble the doctrines of the Cartesians. 

Maltlrasian Doctrines. — Certain principles of population, laid 
down by the Eev. Thomas Malthus, in essays published by him in 
1798. The gist of this doctrine is, that the population of 
England increases too rapidly for the prosperity of the country 
and the well-being of society, and that the best remedy for 
pauperism would be to place some check on this prolific tendency. 

Megarian School. — That philosophic association which a 
majority of the disciples of Socrates founded after his. death. 

Mesmerism. — A magnetic agent, which, according to its 
advocates, enables one person to communicate certain influences 
at will to the mind of the person " mesmerised " or put into a 
state of sleep, in which questions are answered, involuntary 
movements take place,, and other phenomena are produced. 
It is so named in honour of Antony Mesmer of Vienna, who 
wrote on the subject in 1770. 

Monachism. — The practice of retiring from the world for 
mortification or pious contemplation. The first Christian monkish 
community is said to have been established at Phanium, in the 



PHILOSOPHIES, SYSTEMS, DOCTRINES, ETC. 103 

Thebais of Egypt, in the year 305, by the disciples of St. 
Anthony. 

Monlboddo's Theory. — A peculiar theory made public by 
Lord Monboddo, in a work entitled " The Origin and Progress 
of Language," published in 1773. In this work it is affirmed 
that the human race have actually arisen from the very lowest 
stage — that of mere brutality: the author supposes, on the 
authority of several travellers whom he quotes, that there were 
nations without laws, or any of the arts of civilized life— without 
even language; and that some of them, to complete their 
relationship to the monkey tribe, had actually tails ! 

Newtonian Philosophy. — The doctrine of the universe, as 
delivered by Sir Isaac Newton, who was born 1642. The 
great principle upon which the philosophy is founded is the 
power of gravity or attraction. 

Nominalists. — A sect of the Scholastic philosophers, so named 
on account of the particular tenet by which they were distinguished 
from and in opposition to the Eealists. They adopted the Stoical 
doctrine and affirmed that words and names only were universal. 

Qptimisni.--That philosophical and religious opinion which 
maintains that this world, in spite of its apparent imperfectness, 
is the best, and could not be otherwise than it is. It is specially 
applied to the doctrine of Leibnitz— that Grod has, among the 
possible worlds which presented themselves to his understanding, 
chosen and created the best. 

Peripatetic Philosophy. — The philosophy of Aristotle received 
this name, either from his custom of teaching while walking, or 
from the place where it was taught, a walk planted with trees. 

Pestalozzian System. — A mode of teaching so called from its 
founder, Pestalozzi, who was born at Zurich in 1746, and died 
1827. This theory of education is built upon the supposition 
that all our knowledge is derived in the first instance from the 
perception of the senses, and that, therefore, all instruction 
should be based upon the observation of real objects and occur- 
rences. Further, that the object of primary education is to give 
a general and harmonious cultivation to the faculties of the 
mind, not merely to communicate technical knowledge. 



104 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Platonic Philosophy. — Derived from Plato, who lived about 
350 B.C. It approaches nearer to the religion of the Hebrews 
than that of any other pagan writer. 

Ptolemaic System. — In astronomy, the ancient arrangement of 
the sun, stars, and planets, as exhibited and maintained by 
Claudius Ptolemy, a celebrated astronomer and mathematician 
of Alexandria, in Egypt, who flourished in the first and second 
centuries after Christ. According to this system, the earth is 
the central body of the universe, and about it the sun, stars, and 
planets revolve in twenty-four hours, moving from east to west. 
This hypothesis prevailed in every country where astronomy was 
cultivated, till towards the sixteenth century, when it was dis- 
placed by the Copernican system. 

Pythagorean System. — In astronomy, that arrangement of 
the heavenly bodies which places the sun in the centre, and 
makes the planets revolve around it, in orbits nearly circular. It 
is also named the Solar or Copernican system, and is that which 
is at present received as the true system of the universe. 

Pythagoreans. — A sect of ancient philosophers which took its 
rise about 550 B.C., and adopted the principles and doctrines of 
Pythagoras its founder. The Pythagoreans held that the universe 
in its original state was a shapeless mass of inert and passive 
matter, which a powerful Being modified and reduced to order ; 
that this great Being is the mover and soul of the universe, and 
that the souls of mankind are a portion of his substance. They 
supported the doctrine of the transmigration of the human soul 
into different bodies ; hence they forbade the killing of animals, 
and even the burning of wood. They abstained from eating flesh 
and pulse, and lived principally upon bread and honey, and water. 

Eealists. — A sect of philosophers founded in opposition to the 
Nominalists. 

Eosicrucians. — A name assumed by a sect of philosophers, 
who first made themselves notorious in Germany, in the beginning 
of the fourteenth century. They bound themselves by a solemn 
secret, which they all swore inviolably to preserve, and also gave 
in their adhesion to certain established rules. They pretended 
to have a knowledge of all the sciences, and especially of medicine. 



PHILOSOPHIES, SYSTEMS, DOCTRINES, ETC. 105 

They gave themselves out to be masters of many important 
secrets, and, among others, that of the philosopher's stone. They 
also pretended to protract the period of human life by means of 
certain nostrums, and even to restore youth. 

Sceptics. — From the Greek sheptomai, " I look about." A sect 
of philosophers, followers of Pyrrho, who maintained that no 
certain inferences could be drawn from the evidence of the senses, 
and who therefore doubted of everything. 

Socialism. — The doctrine taught by Robert Owen, who pro- 
posed to re-organize society by banishing old motives of action, 
including religion in any special forms, and to establish the social 
edifice on his own views of co-operation and mutual usefulness. 

Socratic Method. — A method of teaching, originated by 
Socrates, the Grecian sage, in which reasoning and instruction 
were imparted by interrogatories. 

Sophists. — The name of a sect of Grecian philosophers who 
flourished in the fifth century before the Christian era. They 
arrogated to themselves universal knowledge, and taught a variety 
of subjects in specious and attractive language. They were 
ridiculed by Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and others, and were by 
them accused of teaching mere word-wisdom, and of corrupting 
and perverting the profession and study of philosophy. 

Spencean System. — So called from one Thomas Spence, a 
political enthusiast, who devised and published a plan by which 
mankind could be provided with sustenance and avoid pauperism. 
He died October, 1814. 

Stoics. — Followers of the opinions of Zeno, who taught that a 
wise man is unmoved by joy, grief, or other passions, and regards 
all things as governed by unavoidable necessity. 

Utilitarianism. — The doctrine that utility is the end and pur- 
pose of moral virtue, a sentiment approximating that held by the 
Benthamites, which see. 



104 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST I 

Platonic Philosophy. — Derived from Plato, who lived about 
350 B.C. It approaches nearer to the religion of the Hebrews 
than that of any other pagan writer. 

Ptolemaic System. — In astronomy, the ancient arrangement of 
the sun, stare, and planets, as exhibited and maintained by 
Claudius Ptolemy, a celebrated astronomer and mathematician 
of Alexandria, in Egypt, who flourished in the first and second 
centuries after Christ. According to this system, the earth is 
the central body of the universe, and about it the sun, stars, and 
planets revolve in twenty-four hours, moving from east to west. 
This hypothesis prevailed in every country where astronomy was 
cultivated, till towards the sixteenth century, when it was dis- 
placed by the Copernican system. 

Pythagorean System. — In astronomy, that arrangement of 
the heavenly bodies which places the sun in the centre, and 
makes the planets revolve around it, in orbits nearly circular. It 
is also named the Solar or Copernican system, and is that which 
is at present received as the true system of the universe. 

Pythagoreans. — A sect of ancient philosophers which took its 
rise about 550 B.C., and adopted the principles and doctrines of 
Pythagoras its founder. The Pythagoreans held that the universe 
in its original state was a shapeless mass of inert and passive 
matter, which a powerful Being modified and reduced to order ; 
that this great Being is the mover and soul of the universe, and 
that the souls of mankind are a portion of his substance. They 
supported the doctrine of the transmigration of the human soul 
into different bodies ; hence they forbade the killing of animals, 
and even the burning of wood. They abstained from eating flesh 
and pulse, and lived principally upon bread and honey, and water. 

Kealists. — A sect of philosophers founded in opposition to the 
Nominalists. 

Rosicrucians. — A name assumed by a sect of philosophers, 
who first made themselves notorious in Germany, in the beginning 
of the fourteenth century. They bound themselves by a solemn 
secret, which they all swore inviolably to preserve, and also gave 
in their adhesion to certain established rules. They pretended 
to have a knowledge of all the sciences, and especially of medicine. 



PHILOSOPHIES, SYSTEMS, DOCTRINES, ETC. 105 

They gave themselves out to be masters of many important 
secrets, and, among others, that of the philosopher's stone. They 
also pretended to protract the period of human life by means of 
certain nostrums, and even to restore youth. 

Sceptics. — From the Greek sJeeptomai, " I look about." A sect 
of philosophers, followers of Pyrrho, who maintained that no 
certain inferences could be drawn from the evidence of the senses, 
and who therefore doubted of everything. 

Socialism. — The doctrine taught by Robert Owen, who pro- 
posed to re-organize society by banishing old motives of action, 
including religion in any special forms, and to establish the social 
edifice on his own views of co-operation and mutual usefulness. 

Socratic Method. — A method of teaching, originated by 
Socrates, the Grecian sage, in which reasoning and instruction 
were imparted by interrogatories. 

Sophists. — The name of a sect of Grecian philosophers who 
flourished in the fifth century before the Christian era. They 
arrogated to themselves universal knowledge, and taught a variety 
of subjects in specious and attractive language. They were 
ridiculed by Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and others, and were by 
them accused of teaching mere word-wisdom, and of corrupting 
and perverting the profession and study of philosophy. 

Spencean System. — So called from one Thomas Spence, a 
political enthusiast, who devised and published a plan by which 
mankind could be provided with sustenance and avoid pauperism. 
He died October, 1814. 

Stoics. — Followers of the opinions of Zeno, who taught that a 
wise man is unmoved by joy, grief, or other passions, and regards 
all things as governed by unavoidable necessity. 

Utilitarianism. — The doctrine that utility is the end and pur- 
pose of moral virtue, a sentiment approximating that held by the 
Benthamites, which see. 



108 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Bank Charter. — An enactment by which the Bank of England 
has secured to it peculiar powers and privileges. The original 
charter was in 1708 extended to 1732, and was five years after- 
wards extended to 1742, when it was renewed to 1764 ; it was in 
this manner extended from time to time, in five years' grants, 
until 1800, when it was extended 33 years, the final extent of the 
original charter. 

Berlin, Decrees of. — Issued by Bonaparte, November 21st, 
1806, declaring the British territories in a state of blockade, and 
interdicting the whole world from having any communication 
with them. 

Black Act.— A statute passed in the reign of George the First, 
and made perpetual in the succeeding reign. It was so called, 
because it was occasioned by the devastations committed by 
persons in disguise, or with their faces blacked. By this Act 
certain penalties are imposed upon persons detected in poaching, 
cattle-stealing, setting fire to dwellings, barns, &c, shooting at 
any person, and other outrages. 

Blood, Court of. — The name given by its victims to a council 
instituted by the Duke of Alba in the sixteenth century, with a 
view of bringing to justice the chief rebels of the Flemish pro- 
vinces of Spain. By this council the most cruel punishments 
were devised for the offenders ; more than thirty thousand persons 
fled to escape its operation, all the prisons were filled with vic- 
tims, and the surrounding country converted into a military camp. 

Brehon Laws. — The ancient laws of the Irish, so called from 
being expounded by judges, named in the Irish language Brei- 
theamhuin, or Brehons. Prior to the Anglo-Norman invasion, 
Ireland was wholly governed by these laws ; they were finally 
abolished by James the First, in 1608. 

Brevet. — A term applied to a commission, conferring on an 
officer a degree of rank next above that which he holds in his 
regiment, unaccompanied, however, with a corresponding increase 
of pay. Brevet rank neither ascends higher than lieutenant- 
colonel nor descends lower than that of captain. 

British Constitution. — That form or system of government 
assigning to each rank its special province : thus, the making of 



LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 109 

the laws is assigned to the sovereign, and the Lords and Com- 
mons — the sovereign being at the same time the executive power 
and personal representative of the nation ; the House of Lords 
forms a court of appeal from the royal courts of law ; and the 
House of Commons is the originator of all taxes and financial 
grants, for the use of the executive. To these outlines of the 
constitution may be added, as points of form, that all acts of the 
sovereign must be directed or sanctioned by privy- councillors, 
and that the people are amenable to no law, unless an accusation 
be made by twelve of a grand jury, and by the unanimous decision 
of a jury in open court. 

Bulwer-Clayton Treaty. — A treaty so called from the names 
of the two persons who negotiated it for their respective govern- 
ments ; concluded in 1855 between Great Britain and the United 
States. By this treaty, the fisheries of the Gulf of St. Lawrence 
and the entire coasts of the British American provinces, together 
with the free navigation of the St. Lawrence and its canals, were 
conceded to the Americans, who, in return, admitted to the States 
colonial agricultural produce and timber on equal duties. This 
treaty did not enable British colonists to enter the United States 
with shipping or manufactures on equal duties ; considerable 
dissatisfaction was thereby occasioned, the ambassadors were 
recalled, and the question finally adjusted by subsequent nego- 
tiations. 

Burghmote. — The ancient court of a burgh or borough. By 
the laws of Edgar, the burghmote was to be held thrice a year, 
and by those of Henry the First, twelve times a year. 

Canon Law. — A collection of ecclesiastical constitutions ori- 
ginally compiled by Dionysius Exiguus, in 520. This code was 
afterwards reformed by Ivo in 1114 ; and by Gratian, a Bene- 
dictine monk, in 1151 ; soon after which it was introduced into 
England, and in 1280 formed a part of the academical studies at 
Oxford. 

Canonical Hours.— Hours for prayers were instituted in the 
year 391, and were seven in number ; first, prime, about six a.m. ; 
second, tierce, at nine a.m. ; third, sext, at noon ; fourth, nones, 
about three ; fifth, vespers, about six ; sixth, complin, at eight ; 



110 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

and seventh, matins and lauds, at midnight. The canonical hours 
in England are from eight in the morning to noon ; after which 
marriage cannot he legally performed in any parish church. 

Civil List. — An annual sum granted by Parliament at the 
commencement of each reign, for the expense of the royal house- 
hold and establishment, as distinguished from the general exigen- 
cies of the state, and is the provision made for the Crown out of 
the taxes, in lieu of its proper patrimony, and in consideration of 
the assignment of that patrimony to the public use. 

Clarendon, Constitutions of. — Certain constitutions founded in 
the reign of Henry the Second, 1164, in a parliament held at 
Clarendon, near Salisbury, whereby the king checked the power 
of the Pope and his clergy, and greatly narrowed the total 
exemption they claimed from secular jurisdiction. 

Code Frederick. — A body of laws drawn up in 1748, under the 
direction and with the assistance of Frederick the Second of Prussia. 

Code Napoleon. — A title, which, in France, is sometimes given 
to all the digests of law made under that emperor, but having 
especial reference to the legal work otherwise known as the code 
civile. The project for this code was drawn up in 1801 by five 
commissioners, and afterwards discussed clause by clause in the 
Legislative Assembly. This code defines the civil rights ot 
Frenchmen, and their legal relation to each other and to society 
at large. 

Comity of Nations. — A phrase expressing the foundation and 
extent of the obligation of the laws of one nation within the 
territories of another. It is derived altogether from the voluntary 
consent of the latter ; and it is inadmissible when it is contrary 
to its known policy, or prejudicial to its interests. The word 
" comity " signifies courtesy. 

Concordat. — An appellation given to a formal agreement be- 
tween the see of Rome and any foreign government, with a view 
of regulating the ecclesiastical discipline of the Roman Catholic 
clergy, and the management of the benefices and churches within 
the prescribed territories. It is, in fact, a diplomatic negotiation 
and treaty concerning ecclesiastical affairs, including also tempo- 
ralities appertaining to the Church. 



LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. Ill 

Confession Of Faith. — A summary of the principal articles of 
belief adopted by any church. The first Protestant Confession ot 
Faith was presented to the Diet of Augsburg, and is known by 
the name of the Augsburg Confession. The first English 
Confession was drawn up by Archbishop Cranmer in 1551. The 
first Confession of Faith in Scotland was ratified by Parliament 
in 1560 ; and the Westminster Confession was drawn up in 1643, 
and approved by the General Assembly in 1647. 

Conscription.— The compulsory enrolment of individuals for 
military or maritime service, taken from the population at large. 
In the Koman commonwealth, the conscripts were selected by 
the consuls from the bulk of the people. In France, the conscrip- 
tion was established during the revolution. According to the 
law as at present established, all males are liable to conscrip- 
tion at the age of twenty. Each arrondissement has its contin- 
gent allotted to it out of the total number required for the service,, 
and this number is filled up by lot from the youths liable to the 
conscription. The legal duration of the service is seven years. 

Conventicle Act. — An act passed in 1664 for suppressing 
" seditious conventicles," that is to say, religious meetings where 
the services were conducted in a different manner from those of the 
Church of England. The persecutions under this act were very- 
severe, and continued till 1672, when its operation was suspended 
by the exercise of a dispensing power, and the king's declaration 
of indulgence. 

Com Laws. — Laws passed at various times by the British 
Legislature, regulating the importation of foreign corn, and the 
exportation of home-grown ; but latterly restricted in its use to 
the bill passed in 1815, which was expected to keep the price of 
wheat uniformly at 80s. per quarter, but which failed, with the 
exception of one or two years of scarcity, to raise the price 
above 58s. 5d. These laws were modified in 1828 ; and during 
the summer of 1846, under the administration of Sir Robert 
Peel, their final abolition was fixed to take place in 1849. 

Coronation Oath.— At the ceremony of crowning the sovereign 
in England, the following oath is taken :— " I solemly promise and 
swear to govern the people of this United Kingdom of Great 



112 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Britain and Ireland, and the dominions thereto belonging, 
according to the statutes in Parliament agreed on, and the laws 
and customs of the same ; to cause law in justice and mercy to 
be executed in all my judgments ; to the utmost of my power to 
maintain the laws of God, the true profession of the Gospel, and 
the Protestant reformed religion established by the law ; to 
preserve unto the bishops and clergy of this realm, and the 
churches committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges 
as by law do or shall appertain unto them or any of them. The 
things which I have proclaimed I will perform and keep, so help 
me God." 

Corporation and Test Acts. — Passed in 1673, requiring every 
person who held office under government to take the sacra- 
ment of the Lord's Supper, in the Church of England, at least 
once a year. Roman Catholics and Dissenters, not being able 
consistently to comply with this law, were virtually excluded from 
holding office in the state. Abolished in 1828. 

Coventry Acts. — A measure passed in 1671 to prevent malicious 
maiming and wounding. It is so called from Sir John Goventry, 
a Member of Parliament, who, having indulged in a joke on the 
king's mistress, was attacked in the streets, and had his nose slit. 

Curfew. — From the French couvre feu. A law of Norman 
origin, passed in England in 1068, and which ordered that, on the 
ringing of the curfew- bell at eight o'clock in the evening, all 
fires and lights were to be extinguished, under a a severe penalty. 
This law was abolished in 1103. The object of the Curfew was, 
to lessen the risks of fire by night ; for conflagrations, in those 
days, were rendered doubly dangerous, owing to the buildings 
being principally composed of wood, straw, &c, and the want of 
sufficient means for extinguishing large bodies of fire. 

Declaration of War. — Formerly, a proclamation made by 
the herald-at-arms to the members or subjects of a state, de- 
claring them to be at war with some foreign power, and forbidding 
all of them to assist the common enemy at their peril. The 
more recent practice of declaring war is by manifesto made 
public, and notified to the foreign governments, the cause as well 
as the intention being stated. 



LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 113 

Decretals. — Rescripts or epistles from the Pope, deciding 
points of controversy, and questions of ecclesiastical policy ; 
they compose the second volume of the canon law. 

Detenu. — A term adopted and forced beyond its legitimate 
meaning by the French Government, at the commencement of 
hostilities between France and England in 1803, when Bonaparte, 
the First Consul, detained and imprisoned all British subjects 
who were found about the French dominions after the departure 
of their ambassador. 

Draconian Laws. — A code of laws made by Draco, a celebrated 
lawgiver of Athens, 621 B.C. Their measures were so severe 
that they were said to be written in letters of blood ; and hence, 
all laws of exceeding rigour were so called. 

Ecclesiastical Titles Bill. — An act passed in 1851, rendering 
the assumption of any ecclesiastical title by Catholics inJEngland 
an offence against the laws. 

Edict. — An order or instrument signed and sealed by a prince, 
to serve as a law to his subjects. It was a conspicuous instru- 
ment in the Roman laws. In the ancient French law, several 
edicts also existed. Despotic rulers employ edicts much in the 
same manner as proclamations are used in free countries ; but 
with this difference, that the former has the authority of a law 
from the power which issues it ; whereas the latter is only the 
declaration of a law to which it refers, and has no power in itself. 
Edicts are all sealed with green wax, as a sign of their being 
perpetual and irrevocable. 

Embargo. — An arrest on ships of merchandise by public 
authority, or a prohibition of state, commonly on foreign ships 
in time of war, to prevent their entering or leaving port, and 
sometimes both, for a limited period. 

Encumbered Estates. — An act having reference to Ireland, 
passed 28th July, 1849. By it, the owners of land or of leases of 
land, subject to encumbrance, were privileged to apply for the 
sale of such property ; provided the interest and charges payable 
do not exceed half the net annual income. Under this act a large 
number of estates have been sold ; the effect being to relieve and 
indemnify the encumbered owners, to place the property under a 



114 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

better management, and to give an impetus to the industry of the 
country at large. 

Exceptions, Bill of. — An ancient privilege provided by statute, 
in 1284, and existing at the present day. It is the right of ten- 
dering to a judge, upon a trial between parties, exceptions to his 
charge or definition of the law ; it also seeks to remedy or take 
advantage of any error or informality committed by the court. 

Exclusion, Bill of. — The name of a bill by which Parliament, 
in the latter part of the reign of Charles the Second, sought to 
exercise the right of altering and limiting the succession to the 
crown, by setting aside the king's brother and presumptive heir, 
the Duke of York, on the ground of his being a Papist ; it passed 
the House of Commons, but was rejected in the House of Lords, 
the king having openly declared that it should never receive the 
royal assent. 

Extravagantes. — A name given to certain decretal epistles or 
constitutions of the Pope, which were published from the Clemen- 
tines, but were not at first digested or arranged with the other 
papal constitutions. Hence the name which they continued to 
retain even after their insertion in the body of the canon law. 

Feudal System. — This celebrated system was universally 
received into Europe between the sixth and seventh centuries, 
and is supposed to have derived its origin from the military 
policy of the -Celtic or northern nations. According to this 
system, the victorious general allotted considerable tracts of land 
to his principal officers, who, in like manner divided their posses- 
sions among inferior officers. The condition upon which these 
rewards were given, was, that the possessors should yield to the 
donor military service both at home and abroad. The natural 
consequence of this tenure was a. military subjection throughout 
the whole community. For a time this system prospered, but 
after a little while its primitive scope and simple maxims were 
abandoned for more interested and less honest designs ; so that 
the feudal system became a species of despotism on the one hand, 
and of bondage on the other. It is generally supposed that the 
feudal system was first introduced into England by William the 
Conqueror ; but as wealth and luxury increased, and civilization 



LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 115 

grew more extended, a new tenure, called escuage, was substi- 
tuted, by which the vassal was only obliged to pay to his superior 
a sum of money annually, instead of attending him into the field. 
Hence originated taxes for the support of the army and the 
defence of the nation. 

Firman. — A Persian word, denoting a decree issued by the 
Turkish Sultan, signed with his own cipher or signet, as when a 
Pacha or other officer of state is appointed. Firman is also the 
name given to a passport which the pachas are in the habit of 
granting to travellers. The firman of death is a sentence of sum- 
mary execution, issued by the Sultan against a pacha or other 
state officer, the written order of which is intrusted to a state 
messenger, whose duty it is to see it executed. 

First Fruits.— Formerly, the profit of every spiritual living for 
one year, according to the valuation thereof in the king's books. 
They were originally claimed by the Pope throughout Christen- 
dom ; in the reign of Henry the Eighth they were transferred to 
the king ; and were ultimately given up by Queen Anne, to be 
applied towards the augmentation of small livings. 

Five Articles of Perth.— Sanctioned by the General Assembly, 
and the Scottish parliament, at the instigation of James the First. 
They were :— 1. Kneeling at the Sacrament. 2. Private Com- 
munion. 3. Private Baptism. 4. Confirmation of Children. 
5. Observance of Holy days. 

Five-Mile Act— Passed October, 1665. This act compelled 
Nonconformist teachers, who refused to take the non-resistance 
oath, not to come within jwe miles of any corporation where they 
had preached since the " Act of Oblivion," unless they were 
travelling, under the penalty of £50. 

Flotsam, Jetsam, and Ligan— These barbarous and uncouth 
terms have the following signification. Flotsam, is such portion 
of the wreck of a ship and the cargo as continues floating on the 
surface of the water. Jetsam, is where goods are cast into the 
sea, and there sink and remain under water. Ligan, is where they 
are sunk in the sea, but are fastened to a cork or buoy in order 
that they may be found again. These appellations are used to 
distinguished goods not legally wrecked, in order to constitute 



116 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

which they must come to land. Flotsam, Jetsam, and Ligan, 
"belong to the sovereign or the sovereign's representatives, pro- 
vided no owner appear to claim them within a year. 

Pour Hundred, Council of. — A form of government established 
at Athens, upon the abolishing of democracy, 411 B.C. At the 
end of four months, the council was dissolved, and Antiphon, its 
framer, put to death. 

French Clergy, Declaration of the.— Made in 1681 by an 
assembly of the ecclesiastics of France. The object was to pro- 
test against the power which the Pope sought to exercise over 
the court of France ; and to intimate that such power should be 
generally regulated by the Divine commandments, and by the 
canon law. 

Fulmination. — Literally, the act of thundering. In the canon 
law of the Romish church, a sentence of a bishop or any other 
ecclesiastic appointed by the Pope, by which it is decreed that 
some bull sent by the Pope shall be put into execution. 

Game Laws. — Certain enactments which operate with extreme 
severity against persons destroying or taking game, such as hares, 
partridges, &c. The justice or injustice of these laws has long 
been a vexed question, and the putting them in force has fre- 
quently led to an irreconcilable estrangement between the upper 
and lower classes in several rural districts. 

Golden Bull. — A denomination peculiarly given to an ordinance 
or statute made by the Emperor Charles the Fourth of Germany, 
in 1356, and operating as a fundamental law of the empire. It is 
thus called from a golden seal affixed to it, such as were used to 
annex to edicts in the Eastern empire. Till the publication of the 
Golden Bull, the election of an emperor was a matter of doubt 
and uncertainty ; but by this instrument the election was made 
to devolve upon seven Electors, three of whom were ecclesiastics 
and four secular rulers. 

Grace, Act of. — The Act, so termed in Scotland, was passed in 
1696 ; it provides maintenance for debtors imprisoned by their 
creditors. It is Usually applied in England to insolvent acts and 
general pardons at the beginning of a new reign or upon other 
great occasions. 



LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 117 

Habeas Corpus.— A celebrated act, passed in 1679, for the pre- 
vention of arbitrary arrests and for the protection of the person. 
Its chief provisions are : — 1. That no one shall be sent to prison 
beyond sea. 2. That the body of every prisoner shall be pro- 
duced on trial. 3. That a prisoner shall be tried the term next 
after his apprehension. 4. That no one shall be tried twice for 
the same offence. Numerous other conditions are attached to this 
law, all tending to the same end. 

Hatti-Scherif. — A name given in Turkey to the ordinances 
emanating from the Sultan, and signed by his hand. 

Heriot. — A feudal service, consisting in a chattel rendered to 
the lord on the death of a tenant, and in some places upon aliena- 
tion by a tenant. Heriots were known in England before the 
complete development of the feudal system which followed the 
Norman conquest. 

Hidage. — Formerly, a royal aid or tribute, which, in England, 
was raised in certain proportions upon every hide of land. The 
hide was variously fixed at 60, 80, and 100 acres. 

Hue and Cry. — An old common law process of pursuing with 
horn and voice all felons and such as had dangerously wounded 
another. This mode of arrest is still recognised by the law of 
England, and when hue and cry is raised, all persons, as well 
constables as others, are bound, according to the strict letter of 
the law, to join in the pursuit, and assist in the capture of the 
felon. 

Indemnity Bill. — Passed generally to secure a minister against 
abuses of his office, or to relieve him from the responsibility of 
measures adopted in extreme and urgent cases without the pre- 
vious sanction of Parliament. A memorable bill of this kind 
was passed on the 19th of April, 1801; and another, to guard 
against the effects of the law for abuse of power during the 
suspension of the Habeas Corpus, March 10th, 1818. In 1848 
and 1857 bills of indemnity were passed for the suspension by 
the ministry of the Bank Charter Act. 

Index Expurgatorius. — In Catholic countries, a catalogue of 
those books which the Church of Rome forbids her followers to 
read, or condemns as heretical. It is annually published at Rome. 



118 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Institutes. — A book so entitled, containing the elements of the 
Eoman or civil law. The Institutes are divided into four books, 
and contain an abridgement of the whole body of the civil law. 

Instrument of .Government— When Oliver Cromwell dispersed 
the House of Commons, and destroyed its authority, a council of 
officers prepared what was called an " Instrument of Government," 
placing Cromwell at the head of the nation, with the title ot 
Protector ; and he, having taken the oath which was required of 
him, was proclaimed in the three kingdoms without opposition. 

Interim. — A document published by the Emperor Charles the 
Fifth of Germany in 1547, being a system of religious doctrine 
retaining all the Romish tenets, but granting some slight conces- 
sions to the Protestants. It was called the " Interim," because it 
was only to remain in force until the Pope should consent to 
re-assemble the Council of Trent. 

International Law. — A term originally applied to what was 
called previously the " law of nations," and generally received as 
a more appropriate designation than the one which preceded it. 
International law includes questions of peace and war, disputes 
between governments, misunderstandings between territories, 
states, &c, the rights of subjects, disabilities of aliens, and 
every topic of a similar character. 

Jagllire. — An assignment made in Bengal by an imperial grant 
upon the revenue of any district to defray civil or military charges, 
pensions, gratuities, and the like. 

Justinian Code. — A name given to a compilation ordered by 
Justinian, the Roman emperor, of the best and most useful laws 
which had been promulgated by his predecessors. The new code 
was published, in the first instance, in the year 529, and was after- 
wards revised and republished in 534, under the title which it has 
since borne. 

Lambeth Articles. — So called from their being drawn up at 
Lambeth Palace, under the eye of Archbishop Whitgiffc, and 
other church dignitaries. These articles were framed to meet the 
opposition against predestination which was beginning to manifest 
itself at Cambridge. When completed, the articles were sent to. 



LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 119 

the University, and the scholars were strictly enjoined to conform 
thereto. 

Letters of Marque. — A licence, or extraordinary commission 
granted by a sovereign of one state to his subjects to make 
reprisals at sea on the subjects of another, under the pretence of 
indemnification for injuries received. For this purpose, pri- 
vateers, or private ships of war, are fitted out at the cost of indi- 
viduals for the purpose of carrying on hostilities on their own 
account, but with the permission of the state. The word marque, 
is said to be derived from the same root as marches, limits, fron- 
tiers. 

Magna Charta. — This great charter of English liberties was 
founded upon minor privileges granted in the reigns of the 
earlier kings ; was amplified, remodelled, and perfected, and 
granted by King John, June 15th, 1215. Since then it has 
been confirmed many times, and is now indissolubly bound up 
with the English constitution. 

Maine Law.— A law having force in the State of Maine, 
America, and which constitutes the public sale of intoxicating 
liquors an illegal act. 

Martial Law.— That kind of government which is in force 
during the existence of a rebellion ; when, in consequence of 
the ordinary processes of general law becoming ineffectual for 
the security of life and property, the Legislature appoints a 
military force to suppress the disorder and arrest the offenders ; 
this, and the trial of prisoners according to the practice of 
military courts, constitutes martial law. 

Matrons, Jury of. — In English law, when a woman convicted 
of treason or felony, upon sentence of death being pronounced, 
pleads pregnancy in stay of execution, a jury of matrons may 
be summoned to investigate into the truth of the allegation, 
and if true, the convicted woman is respited until after delivery. 
The same form of judicial inquiry is adopted in the civil law, 
with respect to widows who declare themselves enceinte by their 
late husband. 

Maynooth Grant. — A sum ol money annually voted by the 



120 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

English Parliament to aid in supporting the Catholic College of 
Maynooth in Ireland. This grant has been objected to by a 
religious section in England, and has been from time to time 
violently opposed by Members of Parliament, who represent 
themselves as uncompromising adherents to the Protestant cause. 

Medes and Persians, Laws of the.— These were famous in 
ancient times, as being irrevocable. The king's word was the 
fixed and immutable law of the land. When the monarch had 
once commanded, though it was to commit wrong, even he could 
not depart from what he had ordained. 

Mortality, Bills of.— Public registers of births, deaths, and 
disease occurring in London and the surrounding districts. 
They were first used in 1562, and were intended to give timely 
notice of the Plague, from which the metropolis was then seldom 
free. From the year 1603 to the present time, they have been 
kept in regular series. 

Mortmain Act.— A statute passed in 1279, intended to limit 
the acquisitions of the Church, and to prevent the clergy amassing 
an undue proportion of wealth. This measure was a timely and 
necessary one; for the priesthood, taking advantage of the 
ignorance of people, upon their death-beds, frequently extorted 
from them large grants of land as a pretended atonement for 
their transgressions. By the law of Mortmain, such grants were 
declared illegal. Several supplementary statutes have since 
been passed, and one especially in 1736, to which frequent 
reference is made. 

Mortuary. — In ecclesiastical law, a customary gift claimed 
by and due to the minister in very many parishes on the death 
of his parishioners. It appears to have been originally a 
voluntary bequest to the church, intended as a kind of expiation 
and amend to the clergy for the personal tithes and other 
ecclesiastical duties which the laity in their lifetime might have 
neglected or forgotten to pay. 

Mosaic Laws, Institutions, &c— Those given to the Children 
of Israel by Moses, and his successors. 

Multoco. — The code of laws of the Turkish empire. It 
consists of the precepts contained in the Koran, the oral 



LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 121 

injunctions of Mahomet, and the decisions of the early Caliphs 
and doctors. 

Mutiny Act. — A series of regulations which from year to 
year are enacted by the British Legislature for the government 
of the military force of the country. The most important 
operation of this bill is that it acts as an effectual security 
against military power or regal despotism ; the supplies are 
voted from year to year only; and, if the sovereign were to 
neglect to summon Parliament every year, the army would 
cease to have a legal existence ; also, the refusal of either house 
to concur in the mutiny bill would at once wrest the sword 
out of his grasp. Tins act was passed in 1689, and the immediate 
cause of its being made an annual measure is as follows : — In 
the year above mentioned, the royal Scotch regiment of horse, 
quartered at Abingdon, and great part of Dumbarton's regiment 
declared for King James, and marched for Scotland ; they were, 
however, overtaken and reduced. A bill was immediately passed 
for punishing mutiny and desertion, and has since become annual. 

Nantes, Edict of. — A famous ordinance promulgated at 
Nantes in the year 1598, by Henry the Fourth, granting to the 
professors of the reformed or Protestant religion, religious free- 
dom and the enjoyment of civil rights and privileges without 
molestation. To these privileges were added full admission to 
employments of trust, honour, and profit, and the permission to 
educate Protestant children in the public universities. 

Mantes, Revocation of the Edict of.— A measure promulgated 
by Louis the Fourteenth, October 22nd, 1685, the object being 
to deprive the Huguenots of the religious liberty which the edict 
had secured to them. The consequence of this measure was that 
four hundred thousand persons, among whom were many of high 
station and wealth, were driven out of France, and were scattered 
among the countries of England, Holland, and Germany. 

Ne Exeat Eegno. — A prerogative writ issued to prevent a 
person leaving the kingdom. It is said to have been introduced 
between the reign of King John and that of Edward the First. 
It was originally applied only to great political objects, and 
purposes of state, for the safety or benefit of the realm. 



122 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Norway Law. — A code of laws compiled by the order of 
Christian the Fifth in 1675. The Norwegian peasants regard it 
as their Palladium, as it secures to them certain privileges, and 
renders their condition superior to that of the peasants in the 
neighbouring countries. 

Oleron. — The laws, constitutions, or judgments of Oleron are 
a capitulary of ancient marine customs written in old French, 
and bearing the name of Oleron for several centuries, because 
tradition points to the island so called as the place of their 
original propagation. 

Ordeal, Trial by. — A form by which guilt or innocence was 
determined, practised among the ancient and barbarous nations 
of Europe. In England, the ordeal was of two kinds. The first, 
ordeal oy fire, was performed either by taking up in the hand a 
piece of red-hot iron, or otherwise by walking barefoot over 
burning ploughshares ; and in either case, if the accused escaped 
unhurt he was deemed innocent, if otherwise, he was condemned 
as guilty. Water ordeal was performed either by plunging the 
bare arm up to the elbow in boiling water, or by casting the 
suspected person into a river or pond ; if in the former case his 
arm was scalded, or in the latter, if he floated without any action 
of swimming, he was considered guilty ; if otherwise, he was held 
to be innocent. 

Oswald's Law. — A law made by Oswald, Bishop of Worcester, 
to expel married priests, and bring monks into the Church. 

Pains and Penalties, Bill of. — A bill presented in Parliament 
by Lord Liverpool in 1820 against Caroline, queen of George the 
Fourth. It assumed her Majesty to have been guilty of infidelity 
and other scandalous conduct, and provided that her Majesty 
should be degraded from her rank and title, and her marriage 
with the king dissolved. A great outcry was raised against this 
measure : the conduct of the king had gained him many enemies, 
while the sufferings and indignities to which the queen was 
subjected enlisted much sympathy on her behalf. The bill was 
ultimately abandoned. 

Pandects. — In jurisprudence, the digest or collection, made by 
order of the Emperor Justinian, of 534 decisions of the ancient 



LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 123 

lawyers, on questions occurring in the civil law, to which that 
emperor gave the force and authority of law by the epistle 
prefixed to them. 

Partidas, las Siete. — Spanish for " the seven parts." A 
celebrated ancient Spanish code of laws, drawn up in the reign 
of Alphonso the Tenth, of Castile, about 1260, so called from the 
number of principal parts into which it is divided. 

Petition of Eight.-— An enactment passed in 1628, in sub- 
stance as follows : — 1. That no loan or tax might be levied but 
by the consent of Parliament. 2. That no man might be 
imprisoned but by legal process. 3. That soldiers might not be 
quartered on people against their will. 4. That no commissions 
be granted for executing martial law. To this measure, the king 
(Charles the First) gave, after much evasion, a reluctant assent. 

Fie-Poudre Court. — An ancient court of record in England, 
incident to every fair or market, of which the judge is the steward 
of him who owns or has the toll. 

Pis, Trial of the. — As a security for the integrity of the 
coinage, it is required that before the Master of the Mint can 
receive his " discharge," or an admission that his duties have 
been properly performed, the coins should be submitted to a trial 
by jury. This final examination is technically called the Trial 
of the Fix, from the box which contains the coins selected for 
that purpose. They are secured by three locks, the keys of 
which are respectively in the custody of the Warden, Master, 
and Comptroller of the Mint. 

Plebiscitum. — In Eoman history, a law enacted by the common 
people, under the superintendence of the tribune or some other 
plebeian magistrate, without the intervention of the senate. 

Poyning's Law, or the Statute of Drogheda, passed in 1495, 
has had a marked influence on the subsequent legislative and 
constitutional history of Ireland. By this law it was enacted 
that all the acts then or lately passed in England concerning its 
common weal should be law in Ireland. It was further provided 
that no parliament should be held in Ireland until the Lord 
Lieutenant had certified the English crown of the causes for 
holding it, and licence for the same had been obtained from the 



124 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

king. This law was repealed in 1783, and the Irish parliament 
emancipated. 

Praemunire, Statutes of.— These may be traced to the time of 
Edward the First, by whom they were enacted for the purpose of 
restricting the power of the Pope in England. That statute 
referred to by way of eminence was passed in the reign of Richard 
the Second, 1392, by which persons exercising Romish influence 
unduly were put out of the royal protection, and their goods and 
lands forfeited to the king. The penalties of a praemunire were 
inflicted upon certain persons who refused to take the oath of 
allegiance to Charles the Second. 

Pragmatic Sanction. — A term ordinarily applied to certain 
ordinances, concerning the great affairs of the Church. It is 
chiefly used among modern writers for the famous ordinance of 
Charles the Seventh of France, drawn up with the consent of the 
most eminent prelates and grandees of the nation, and published 
in 1438, containing a regulation of ecclesiastical discipline, and 
since used by the Gallican Church as a barrier against the enter- 
prises and encroachment of the Court of Rome. The Pragmatic 
Sanction was abolished in 1516, and replaced by the Concordat,, 
between Pope Leo the Tenth and Francis the First. The most 
recent ordinance of this nature is the pragmatic sanction of the 
Emperor Charles the Sixth, in 1713, whereby in default of male 
issue his daughters were to succeed in preference to the sons of 
his brother. 

Proces Verbal. — A French term signifying an authentic report 
or minute of an official act or proceeding, or statement of facts. 
The term is also used to denote minutes drawn up by a secretary 
or other officer of the proceedings of an assembly. 

Provincial Constitutions. — Decrees made in the provincial 
synods held under divers Archbishops of Canterbury from the 
reign of Henry the Third to that of Henry the Fifth. 

Provisions of Oxford. — The names of certain important en- 
actments passed in 1258. The tyranny and unconstitutional 
conduct of Henry the Third so incensed some of the chief persons 
of the nation, that they determined upon bringing about such 
reforms in the state as were deemed necessary for the salvation 



LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 125 

of the country. The king was compelled by the barons to 
summon a parliament, having the power to inaugurate the re- 
formations needed. Twelve barons were selected by the king 
and twelve by the Parliament, these held their meeting at Oxford ;, 
and proposed the following " provisions," to which the king 
assented, namely, that three times in each year the Parliament 
should meet ; that on the next meeting of Parliament each shire 
or county should send four knights to that Parliament, that so 
the especial wants and grievances of every part of the kingdom 
might be known. From these provisions, in fact, sprang the 
present House of Commons. 

Quarantine. — An interval of a certain number of days (pro- 
perly forty), during which a ship arriving in port, and suspected 
of being infected with a malignant contagious disease, is obliged 
to forbear all intercourse with the city or place. It is customary 
for the proper officers to determine the period of restraint at their 
discretion, according to circumstances. 

Eegium Donum. — A Latin term signifying a royal gift. It is. 
an annual grant of public money, made by the British Parliament 
in aid of the maintenance of the Presbyterian clergy of Ireland. 
It was instituted by William the Third in 1690, and remodelled 
1790. The stipends are paid to ministers both of the Synod of 
Ulster, and Seceding Synod, the two principal divisions of the 
sect. 

Eight of Search. — A usage recognised by the law of nations, 
by which belligerent powers are permitted to visit and search 
neutral vessels for the purpose of ascertaining that such vessels- 
do not carry anything prejudicial to the powers in question. 
The search is usually confined to the ship's papers, namely, the 
passport of the captain, the sea-letter or sea-brief specifying the 
nature and quantity of the cargo, the muster-roll of the crew, 
the charter-party, the bill of lading, the invoices, the log-book, 
and the bill of health. The penalty for the violent contravention 
of the right of search is the confiscation of the ship and cargo. 

Eights, Bill of.— An Act of Parliament passed in 1690, 
granting important constitutional privileges to the English 
people. This bill placed certain restrictions upon the regal 



126 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

authority, depriving it of the power to suspend or execute the 
laws without the consent of Parliament ; vesting the levying of 
all moneys in the Commons ; rendering it illegal to raise or keep 
a standing army without the consent of Parliament ; ensuring 
freedom of election and liberty of speech and debate ; regulating 
juries, doing away with excessive fines or bail ; and granting the 
right of petition. 

Ritual. — A book directing the order and manner to be ob- 
served in celebrating religious ceremonies, and performing divine 
service in the church. 

Root and Branch Bill— A bill, thus designated, was introduced 
into Parliament in 1641, having for its object the utter extirpa- 
tion of episcopacy. It originated from the Scotch Presbyterians, 
who were then being treated with intolerance by the heads of the 
Episcopal Church. 

Eoyal Assent,— In England, the assent given by the sovereign 
to bills that have passed the two Houses of Parliament ; it is 
given to a public bill in the words " Le Roi U vent" the king 
wills it ; and to a private bill u Soit fait comme il est desire" let 
it be clone as desired. The royal assent is refused by using the 
words " Le Roi s'avisera" the king will think of it, or be advised. 
In practice, the royal assent is seldom if ever withheld. 

Royal Marriage Act— A bill passed in 1772, for rendering all 
the descendants of the late king (George the Second) incapable 
of contracting marriage without the previous consent of his 
Majesty, or his successors ; but such descendants being above 
twenty-five years of age, on giving the Privy Council twelve 
months' previous notice, may, after the expiration of that term, 
marry without the royal assent, unless both Houses of Parliament 
should, within that time, declare their disapprobation of it. This 
bill originated in the marriages of the brothers of George 
the Third— the Duke of Cumberland with Mrs. Horton, and the 
Duke of Gloucester with Lady Waldegrave— neither of which had 
been recognised at court. 

Royal Prerogative. — The special powers vested in the 
sovereign of Great Britain, and which comprise the appointment 
of his own ministers of state, the creation of peers, prorogation. 



LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 127 

of Parliament, dissolving the House of Commons, pardoning 
offenders after conviction, granting commissions for the execution 
of the laws ; negotiating with foreign nations, exercising his 
veto in regard to new laws, and making war or peace. 

Rubric — From the Latin ruber, red. In the canon law, a title 
or article in certain ancient law-books, thus called because 
written, as the titles of the chapters of our ancient Bibles are, in 
red letters. The same term also denotes the rules and directions 
given at the beginning and in the course of the Liturgy, for the 
order and manner in which the several parts of the office are to 
be performed. 

Salic Law. — An ancient law of France, by which females are 
excluded from inheriting the throne, confirmed in the reign of 
Pharamond, 424 ; first quoted 1327. 

Scan. Mag. — An abbreviation of Scandalum Magnatum, that is 
to say, the scandal of the peerage, a reflection or inuendo, thrown 
out against either an individual peer or against the peerage 
collectively. A statute bearing this title was promulgated in the 
reign of Kichard the Second, adjudging the infliction of punish- 
ment for any wrong offered to or uttered against a noble 
personage. 

Schism Bill. — An act passed in the reign of Queen Anne, by 
virtue of which Nonconformists teaching schools were to be 
imprisoned three months. Each schoolmaster was to receive the 
sacrament and take the oaths. If afterwards present at a con- 
venticle, he was to be incapacitated and imprisoned ; he was bound 
to teach only the Church Catechism. Upon the very day this 
act was to have received the royal assent, the queen died, and it 
consequently fell to the ground. 

Scot and Lot. — A tercn including all parochial assessments for 
the poor, the church, lighting, cleansing, and watching. The 
right of voting for Members of Parliament, and for municipal 
officers, used to be exclusively, in many places, vested in the 
payers of SGot and lot. 

Sederunt, Acts of, — In the municipal law of Scotland, statutes 
made by the Lords of Session, by virtue of a Scottish Act of 
Parliament, passed in 1540, empowering them to make such 



128 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST I 

constitutions as they may deem expedient for ordering the pro- 
cedure and forms of administering justice. These are called Acts 
of Sederunt, because they are made by the Lords of Session 
sitting in judgment. 

Senatus-Consulta. — A term applied to all acts made in the 
name of the senate of Rome. In the reducing of a decree 
into writing, mention was made of the time, the place, the names 
of the senators present, and the name of him who was the author 
of the proposition. After this preamble followed the text of the 
law. The senatus-consultse were carried to the treasury, and 
registered among other laws, this formality giving them the 
force of law, until which time they could not be compulsorily 
obeyed. 

Settlement, Act of. — A statute by which Koman Catholics 
are excluded from the throne of England. The first act of this 
nature was passed in 1689, in favour of William and Mary ; and 
the second act in 1701, declaring that the Electress of Hanover, 
grand-daughter of James the First, should succeed after the 
Princess Anne. 

SMp-Money. — An impost charged upon the ports, towns, 
cities, boroughs, and counties of the British dominions in the 
reign of Charles the First, 1635-6, for the providing and furnishing 
of certain ships for the king's service, &c. This, however, was 
declared to be contrary to the laws and statutes of the realm, and 
the taxes sought to be levied were refused. 

Si&moutll Circular. — An order issued by Lord Sidmouth in 
1819, to the lords-lieutenant of the various counties, which order, 
on account of its object and wording, aroused considerable 
indignation and ridicule. It directed, as a precaution against the 
designs of the Radicals, that all pieces of cannon " laying about " 
in the streets were to be removed or made useless. 

Sign Manual — The signature or subscription of the sovereign 
of England is so called ; it is usually placed at the top left-hand 
corner of the instrument It must be countersigned by a 
principal secretary of state, or by the lords of the treasury ; when 
attached to a grant or warrant, to be accompanied by the signet 
or privy seal. 



LAWS, ENACTMENTS, CODES, ETC. 129 

Six Articles. — An act restoring the whole body of Popery, 
passed in the reign of Henry the Eighth. It was opposed by 
Archbishop Cranmer and others, but without effect. 

Sliding Scale. — In British legislation, a device for regulating 
the price of grain by means of a variable tax upon it. The first 
sliding scale act was passed July 15th, 1828 ; the second, April 
29th, 1842. Both have been abolished by the repeal of the corn- 
laws. 

Sumptuary Laws. — Laws made to restrain excess in apparel, 
costly furniture, eating, &c. Most ages and nations have had 
their sumptuary laws, and one was passed in England in 1482 ; 
such measures have, however, invariably proved futile and 
inoperative. 

Ten Hours Bill. — A Parliamentary enactment, passed in 
1844, restricting the hours- of labour in factories for children and 
persons of tender years to ten hours. 

Tenant-Right. — In certain districts of Ireland, the claim of 
the tenant on the landlord, upon the expiration of his lease, for 
reimbursement on account of capital laid out and fixed in 
unexhausted improvements of the owner's lands. 

Theodosian Code. — A collection of laws made by order of 
Theodosius the Second, in the year 429. It was completed and 
promulgated as law in the Eastern empire in the year 438. The 
arrangement of the matter differs from that of the Justinian Code, 
although the two greatly assimilate. 

Thirty-nine Articles. — Professions of belief relating to the 
Church of England, first passed in convocation, and confirmed by 
royal authority in 1562. To these, the law requires the subscrip- 
tion of all persons ordained to be deacons or priests ; of all 
clergymen inducted to any ecclesiastical living ; of licensed 
lecturers and curates, and of the heads of colleges, of chancellors, 
commissaries, &c. 

Toleration Act. — Passed 1689, granting religious liberty to all 
Protestant Dissenters, and exempting all, except those who denied 
the Trinity, from the penal laws to which they had been till then 
subjected. The benefits of this act were subsequently much 
abridged by more stringent enactments. 

p 



130 THE HISTOEICAL FINGER-POST : 

Truck System. — The word "truck" means barter or exchange, 
and in this instance alludes to a mode ot payment of wages in 
goods or provisions instead of money. In many parts of England, 
numerous abuses arose from this mode of payment, to do away 
with which an act, called the " Truck Act," was passed in 1831, 
making it illegal to pay wages through any other than a money 
medium. 

Twelve Tables.— A code of Soman laws drawn up 451 B.C. 
They at first numbered only ten ; but being considered defective, 
two more were added. The laws were cut on tablets of bronze, 
and set up in a public place. 

Ukase. — A Russian word, signifying an ordinance emanating 
from the emperor or the government of Russia. 

Ultimatlim. — In diplomacy, the final propositions, conditions, 
or terms offered as the basis of a treaty ; the most favourable 
terms that a negotiator can offer, and the rejection of which usually 
puts an end to the negotiation. 

Uniformity, Act of. — A parliamentary statute, passed in 1662, 
ordering that every clergyman should possess episcopal ordina- 
tion, and that he should declare his assent to everything contained 
in the book of Common Prayer, and renounce the principle of 
taking arms against the king under any pretence whatsoever. In 
consequence of this act, 2000 clergymen relinquished their livings, 
and were placed beyond the pale of the Church of England. 
Thus originated the now numerous body of ^Nonconformist Dis- 
senters. 

Unwritten Law. — The ancient common law of England, which 
existed in full force for centuries without ever having been 
written. It is remarkable for its brevity, perspicuity, and com- 
prehensiveness. 

Uti Possidetis. — Latin for "as you possess." In politics, a 
treaty by which belligerent parties are left in possession of what 
they have acquired during the war. 

Valentinian Code. — Identical with the Tlieodosian code it 
having been forwarded by Theodosius the emperor of the Eastern 
empire, to Valentinian the Third emperor of the Western empire, 
and by the latter confirmed as law 



PLACES, PROVINCES, DISTRICTS, ETC. 131 



SEGTIOIT XL 

PLACES, PEOVINCES, DISTRICTS, TEEEITOEIES, etc. 

Abb's Head. — A conspicuous promontory on the southern en- 
trance of the Frith of Forth, ten miles north of Berwick. 

Abdera. — A maritime town in Thrace, near the Eiver Nessus, 
and much celebrated in ancient history for the proverbial dulness 
of the people, the singular properties attributed to the soil of the 
neighbourhood, and for the diseases and plagues with which the 
inhabitants were reported to be afflicted. 

Aird's Moss. — A tract of bleak and barren moorland in the 
south-west of Scotland, and the county of Ayr. It is celebrated 
in the traditions of the Presbyterians as the scene of many per- 
secutions and dangers, and the rendezvous of numerous conven- 
ticle meetings, where men came armed to the teeth to hear the 
Bible read. It was on this moss that, in 1680, Cameron and 
several of his followers were killed while engaged in religious 
exercises, and to commemorate which event a monument is raised. 

Africa, Central. — A vast district in the interior of Africa, said 
to be wholly inhabited by negro races, but of which very little is 
known. 

Algeria. — A name given by the French to a large portion of 
Northern Africa, which they have acquired by conquest. It is 
bounded on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the east 
by Tunis, on the south by the Great Desert, and on the west by 
Morocco. 

Andalusia. — A division of Spain, which embraces the four 
ancient provinces of Seville, Cordova, Jaen, and Granada ; and 
the modern ones of Seville, Cadiz, Jaen, Huelva, Cordova, Almeria, 
Granada, and Malaga. 

Appian "Way. — The first of the Eoman military roads, con- 
structed by Appius Claudius, 312 B.C. 

f 2 



132 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Arabia Felix. — " Araby the blest." One of the three divisions 
of Arabia, comprising the fertile country to the south and west 
on the coast of the Indian Ocean, and whence were derived 
most of the precious gums and spices for which Arabia was 
celebrated. 

Assam. — A wild country north-east of Hindostan which 
became a British province in 1825 ; and which in 1836 was put 
under cultivation as a tea-plantation by a public company. 

Asturias. — A province in the north of Spain, which gives the 
title to the heir-apparent of the Spanish monarchy. 

Backwoods. — The partially cleared forest region on the 
western frontier of the United States of America. This 
portion of the country is regarded as the bach part or rear oi 
Anglo-American civilization, which fronts on the Atlantic. 

Bedford Level. — A tract of land in the counties of Norfolk, 
Suffolk, Huntingdon, Northampton, Lincoln, Cambridge, and 
the isle of Ely, consisting of about 400,000 acres, a large portion 
of it being marshy ground. At various periods, efforts were made 
to reclaim this immense expanse, but it was not accomplished 
till the seventeenth century, when it was effected by the Duke 
of Bedford. It produces fine crops of grain, flax, and cole- 



Bernradas. — Four islands in the Atlantic Ocean, 100 miles 
east of Carolina. Discovered in 1522 by Juan Bermudas, a 
Spaniard: constituted a British settlement in 1609. 

Berwick-upon-Tweed. — A seaport and garrison town on the 
great north road from London to Edinburgh, situated on the 
northern bank of the River Tweed. Berwick is not within any 
county, neither is it a town and county of itself, though it 
virtually forms a county. Therefore, in all acts, proclamations, 
&c, relating to Great Britain, Berwick-upon-Tweed is always 
mentioned separately. 

Black Forest. — A range of high mountains in Germany, 
covered with vast and dense woods, rising in the Grand Duchy 
of Baden, between the valleys formed by the Neckar and the 
Rhine ; some of the elevations in this region attain an altitude 
of more than 4000 feet. The Black Forest is associated with 



PLACES, PROVINCES, DISTRICTS, ETC. 133 

numberless German stories of goblins, spectres, and supernatural 
forms. 

Bceotia. — A country of Greece, forming a part of the modern 
Livadia. Its inhabitants were noted for their natural dulness 
and stupidity. 

Britisll America. — The collective term for the British posses- 
sions in North America, stretching northward to the Arctic 
Ocean, westward to the Pacific, and eastward to the Atlantic. 
The British possessions on the mainland consist of Hudson's 
Bay Territories, Upper and Lower Canada, New Brunswick, 
and Nova Scotia. 

Bruimens. — In Germany, the name applied collectively to 
watering-places. 

Camatic. — A division in Southern India, extending along its 
east coast from Cape Comorin to the Eiver Gondegam. This 
district was conquered by the British in 1783. 

Catalonia. — A province of Spain, situate in the north-east 
of the kingdom, and comprising the provinces of Barcelona, 
Gerona, Lerida, and Tarragona. 

Caucasus. — A vast chain of mountains in Asia, between the 
Black and Caspian Seas. Their length is 750 miles, and their 
breadth from 65 to 150 miles. 

Chat-Moss. — The name of a morass, some 6000 acres in extent,, 
situated about ten miles from Manchester. This place is remark- 
able for the extraordinary efforts which have been made to 
reclaim a considerable portion of the bog in the face of almost, 
insurpassable obstacles, it having been drained and cultivated 
so as to produce good crops. The Manchester and Liverpool 
Railway crosses Chat-moss ; and some idea of the boggy nature: 
of the soil may be formed, from the fact of thousands upon, 
thousands of waggon-loads of material having been used before; 
a bottom could be found. 

Chersonesus. — A Greek word rendered by the Latins 
"peninsula." There were many of these among the ancients. 

Civita Vecchia, the Old City. A town near Rome, and the 
chief seaport of the Papal States. 

Cockpit, Westminster. —An establishment founded at "West- 



134 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

minster, by Henry the Eighth, for conducting cockfighting, which 
was then a national sport ; it was afterwards renewed and 
encouraged by Charles the Second, and for many years the 
Cockpit was regularly attended by the highest personage's in 
the realm. More recently it became the place where the council 
assembled, the proclamations from which were dated from the 
"■ Cockpit." 

Colombia. — A name borne by a portion of South America, 
comprehending Venezuela, New Granada, and Ecuador. Its 
appellation is derived from Columbus, the discoverer. 

Colonies.— Establishments in foreign countries, obtained by 
conquest or cession, or originally founded by the state, or 
by individuals who voluntarily emigrate from, or are compulsorily 
in virtue of a judicial sentence sent abroad by, the mother- 
country. The colonies of the British empire are about fifty in 
number ; the principal of which are the Canadas, Nova Scotia, 
and New Brunswick, in North America; in the West Indies, 
Jamaica, Barbadoes, Antigua, Grenada, St. Lucia, and Trinidad ; 
exclusive of Demerara and Berbice, in South America. Britain 
has also settlements elsewhere, as Australia, Port Lewis, Columbo, 
Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius, Van Diemen's Land, New 
Zealand, and some others, exclusive of her dependencies in the 
East Indies. 

Cork, Cove of. — A small inlet on the coast, near Cork, in 
Ireland, and one of the finest on the British coasts. It changed 
its name to Queenstown, upon the visit of Queen Victoria in 1849. 

Crimea. — A peninsula of European Russia, formed by the 
Black Sea on the south and west, the Straits of Caffa and the 
Sea of Azov on the east, and on the north connected with Russia 
by the Isthmus of Perekop. 

Dardanelles. — Fortifications erected on both sides of the 
Hellespont, a narrow strait connecting the Sea of Marmora 
with the iEgean. 

Bead, City of the. — When Sir William Gell, the celebrated 
topographer, discovered the ruins of Pompeii, he involuntarily 
exclaimed " City of the dead ! city of the dead !" a name which 
has appropriately attached to these extraordinary relics ever since. 



PLACES, PKOVINCES, DISTRICTS, ETC. 135 

Dead Sea. — A lake situated in the Holy Land. It extends 
about fifty miles nearly north and south, and measures about 
twenty-five miles where widest, but it narrows considerably 
towards its extremities. In the adjacent country is a pillar 
covered with asphaltum, which is pretended to be the pillar into 
which Lot's wife was transformed. The towns of Sodom and 
Gomorrah were swallowed up by its waters, and are said to have 
been on its western bank. The water of the lake is pungent and 
bitter. Asphaltum floats on its surface, and covers the whole 
extent of its shores. The lake throws up on its banks pieces of 
petrified wood and porous stones in a calcined state. 

Beccail Territory, — A territory anciently understood to 
comprehend all the peninsula of India south of IsTerbucjda 
Kiver, but now limited to that part of Hindostan lying between 
the Nerbudda and the Kistna, on the north and south sides, 
and the Bay of Bengal, and the Arabian Sea, on the east 
and west. 

Downs. — A term applied to that part of the Channel lying near 
to the sands, off the coast of Kent ; it derives its name from the 
circumstance of its having been at one period a grazing land for 
sheep. It is famed as a rendezvous for shipping. 

Eden of the Pyrenees.— The name given to a lovely valley in 
the south of France, called Val d'Azun, reaching to the base o t 
the Pic du Midi, and crossed by an important road into Spain. 

Ear West. — An American term applied to the states lying to 
the extreme of the westward. 

Field of Falsehood. — The name given to a place near Colmar, 
in Germany, where all the nobles who pretended to be on the 
side of Louis le Debonnaire went over to his sons, who were 
arrayed in rebellion against their father. 

Franche Comte. — Part of the original kingdom of the Bur- 
gundians, between the Ehone, the Saone, Mount Jura, and the 
Rhine, conquered by the Franks, 534. Part of the duchy of Bur- 
gundy, 877 ; severed from it and given as the palatinate of 
Burgundy to . Rudolf the Third, king of Aries, 1002 ; annexed to 
Germany, 1032-; recovered by the dukes of Burgundy, and on the 
death of the last duke seized by Louis the Eleventh of France, 



136 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

1477 ; given to Philip the Second of Spain, 1559 ; conquered by- 
Louis the Fourteenth, 1674, confirmed to him, 1678. 

German Spas. — A number of places in Western Germany, 
containing mineral springs, the waters of which are drunk by 
visitors from all parts of the globe, who repair thither for that 
purpose. 

Geysers. — The name of certain spouting fountains of boiling 
water, situated about thirty miles from the volcano Hecla, in 
Iceland. These fountains are remarkable for the height to which 
the water and stones which issue from them are frequently pro- 
jected. 

Giant's Causeway. — A vast collection of masses of rock situate 
in the county of Antrim, Ireland, extending to so great a distance, 
and disposed in such regular order, as to form one of the greatest 
curiosities in nature. 

Glaciers. — The name given to the immense blocks of ice 
which accumulate on the peaks and slopes, and in the upper 
valleys of lofty mountains, and which, owing to their elevation, 
generally remain solid. Those of the Alps are specially referred 
to as " the G-laciers." 

Golconda. — A town of Hindostan, six miles from Hyderabad, 
once celebrated for its commerce in diamonds. 

Goodwin Sands. — Dangerous shoals off the coast of Kent, 
once part of the estate of Earl Godwin, the father of King Harold. 
Where the sands now are was formerly a large tract of land, 
which was overwhelmed by the sea' in 1100, reducing it to that 
perilous condition which has been so fatal to mariners ever since. 
Grampian Hills. — A chain of hills in Scotland, which extend 
in a north-east direction from the mountain Benlomond in Dum- 
bartonshire, through the counties of Perth, Angus, and Kincar- 
dine, to Aberdeen, and thence in a north-west direction, through 
the counties of Aberdeen, Banff, and Murray, and on the borders 
of Inverness. They take their name from a single hill, the Mons 
Grampius of Tacitus. 

Great Belt and Little Belt.— Two straits which unite the 
Baltic Sea and the Kattegat. 
Great Plain of Europe.— This extends from the German Sea 



PLACES, PROVINCES, DISTRICTS, ETC. 137 

through Prussia, Poland, and Kussia, towards the Ural Mountains, 
presenting tracts of heath, sand, and open pasture. 

Greenland. — Under this name is denoted the most easterly 
parts of America, stretching towards the North Pole, and also 
some islands to the northward of the continent of Europe, lying 
in very high latitudes. 

Grub Street. — The former title of Milton Street, Cripplegate, 
London, which was once the residence of authors of the less 
fortunate class, and the trite and illiberal jest of the more favoured. 
This character it seems to have obtained so far back as the time 
of Cromwell, when the street consisted of low and mean houses, 
which were let out in lodgings, in many instances to persons 
whose occupation was publishing anonymously what were then 
deemed libellous or treasonable works. 

Hague. — A large and beautiful city of Holland, the usual 
residence of the Court, and the seat of the States General or 
Dutch Parliament. 

Hanse Towns. — The cities of Hamburg, Lubeck, and Bremen, 
so called from their being the sole representatives in the present 
day of the Hanseatic League. 

Hartz Mountains. — The most northern mountain-range in 
Germany, occupying an area of above 1000 miles. 

Hebrides. — A long chain of islands lining the western coast of 
Scotland, and amounting in number to above 200, though a great 
many of these are mere islets, and only eighty are inhabited. 

Herculaneum. — An ancient city of Naples, overwhelmed by 
an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the reign of Titus ; it was 
discovered in the year 1689, since which time there have been 
obtained from it many sculptures, paintings, manuscripts, and 
other relics of antiquity. 

Hercules, Pillars of. — The name given by the ancients to 
the eminences of Calpe in Spain and Abyla in Africa, which 
command the entrance to the Straits of Gibraltar. 

Hesse. — A country of Germany, formerly constituting a 
province of the empire, under the charge of a landgrave. After 
undergoing various changes through family successions and 
political revolutions, the territory is now divided into three inde- 



138 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

pendent principalities : namely, Hesse-Cassel, Hesse-Darmstadt, 
and Hesse-Homburg. 

Highlands. — A name given to the mountainous parts of 
Scotland, to the north and north-west, including the Hebrides. 
The inhabitants are a hardy and primitive people, characterized 
by peculiar habits and customs, and speaking the Gaelic 
language. 

Himalaya. — A vast mountain- chain of Asia, bordering the 
plateau of Thibet on the south, and dividing it from the plains 
of Northern India. It contains the loftiest summits on the 
globe and the largest number of them ; the range extending in 
length for about fifteen hundred miles,' and in breadth from two 
hundred to two hundred and fifty. 

Hispania. — In ancient geography, the name given by the 
Eomans to the whole peninsula of the Pyrenees, now Spain and 
Portugal. 

Iceland. — A large island in the northern part of the Atlantic 
Ocean, between the 63rd and 67th degrees of north latitude, and 
16th and 23rd degrees of west longitude from London. 

Ionian Republic. — The name given to seven principal with 
many smaller islands, lying in the Ionian Sea, to the west and 
south of the kingdom of Greece. The principal islands are, 
Corfu, Cephalonia; Zante, Santa Maura, Ithaca, and Paxo. These 
form a republic, under the protection of Great Britain. The 
government consists of a Lord High Commissioner, who repre- 
sents the British sovereign, and of a legislative assembly. 

John o' Groat's House. — The name of a house formerly 
belonging to John de Groot, and supposed, though erroneously, to 
have been the most northerly dwelling on the mainland of 
Scotland. It is mentioned in connection with the Land's End, in 
Cornwall, to express the extreme points of Great Britain. 

Land's End. — In Cornwall, the western extremity of England. 

Levant. — An Italian word signifying the East, and commonly 
employed to designate the eastern or Asiatic shores of the Medi- 
terranean Sea. 

Lover's Leap.— The name given to a promontory in Leucadia, 
one of the Thracian islands ; so called, because from this height, 



PLACES, PROVINCES, DISTRICTS, ETC. 139 

Sappho and other disappointed lovers threw themselves into 
the sea. 

Low Countries. — Another name for the Netherlands, a district 
in the north of Europe, comprehending Holland and Belgium, 
and the grand duchy of Luxemburg. 

Lower Empire.— A term applied to the Roman Empire during 
the period of its decline. 

Lowlands.— The name given to the southern and eastern parts 
of Scotland, in contradistinction to the Highlands. 

Lunenburg. — Anciently, an independent state of the House of 
Brunswick, which in the year 1235 was raised together with 
Brunswick to the rank of a duchy. 

Man, Isle of. — This is a distinct territory from England, and 
is not governed by English laws, neither does any Act of Parlia- 
ment extend to it, unless expressly nanied therein. It was 
formerly a feudatory kingdom, subject to the kings of Norway, 
then to King John and Henry the Third of England ; afterwards 
to the kings of Scotland, and then again to the Crown of England ; 
subsequently it was claimed by Henry the Fourth by right of con- 
quest, and disposed of, first to the Earl of Northumberland, and 
afterwards to Sir John de Stanley. From this period the Earls of 
Derby were constituted Lords of Man, and maintained a sort 
of regal sway there, by assenting to or dissenting from the 
laws ; and no English process was of any authority. Such an 
independent jurisdiction being found inconvenient for the 
purposes of justice, by affording a ready asylum for debtors, 
outlaws, and smugglers, the interest of the then proprietor was 
purchased by Government in 1765, and the island and its 
dependencies became vested in the Crown and subject to the 
regulations of the British excise and customs. The Isle of Man 
still retains, however, peculiar laws, privileges, and immunities. 

Marble, City of. — The city of Genoa was formerly thus 
designated on account of its stability, stateliness, and magni- 
ficence. 

Marches. — A term used to signify the country lying near and 
about the marks which indicated the limits of two kingdoms, 
dukedoms, or other extensive jurisdictions. The Marches of 



140 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Wales and Scotland was a term employed in English history 
until the union of those countries with England. 

Mauritius, or Isle of France, is 400 miles east of Madagascar. 
It was discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, and converted into 
a Dutch settlement in 1640. It was called Mauritius, in honour 
of Prince Maurice, the Stadtholder. Upon their acquisition of 
the Cape of Good Hope, the Dutch deserted it, and it continued 
unsettled till the French landed there in 1720. They remained 
in possession of it till 1810, when it was taken by the British, 
in whose possession it now is. 

Military Frontier. — The name given to a tract of country 
which extends from the Adriatic Sea to the Bukowina, between 
the frontiers of Illyria, Croatia, Slavonia, Hungary, Transylvania, 
and those of Turkey. 

Military Roads. — Certain great roads in the Highlands of 
Scotland, distinguished by this name from the circumstance of 
their having been originally made by the soldiers stationed in the 
Highlands during the rebellion of 1745. These roads afforded a 
communication from Stirling to Inverness, and from Inverness 
to Fort William. 

Mint. — A locality in the Borough, London, taking its name 
from a large structure, which formerly stood here, and which was 
used as a mint in the time of Henry the Eighth. This quarter 
of the town became afterwards notorious as the hiding-place of 
persons who had committed crime, and of other dissolute and 
abandoned characters. The place was thus converted into a 
sort of stronghold, and as such succeeded in keeping at bay or 
otherwise baffling the officers of justice. 

Montenegro, or Black Mountain.— So called from the dark 
forests that clothe its mountain-sides. A high rugged district 
forming a small independent state, nominally under the protection 
of Austria, and situated on the borders of Albania, Herzegovina, 
and the Austrian territory of Cattaro. 

New World.— An epithet applied to America in contradistinc- 
tion to the other parts of the globe, which are collectively called 
the Old World. 



PLACES, PROVINCES, DISTRICTS, ETC. 141 

Oases. — A name given to those fertile spots watered by springs 
which occur in the great sandy deserts of Africa. 

Old Man. — The ancient Eoman Pharos, at Boulogne, so called 
during the siege by Henry the Eighth, 1544. 

Pampas. — The name of large barren plains in South America, 
abounding in swamps, overgrown with wild vegetation, and in 
many places impassable. In the dry season the plains become 
parched to such a degree that extensive conflagrations occur, and 
myriads of animals are destroyed. At other seasons terrific 
storms, known as the pamperos, sweep across the district, levelling 
everything within their reach. 

Penal Settlements. — Colonies established for the reception of 
convicts transported from the mother-country. The only remain- 
ing penal settlements belonging to England are Van Diemen's 
Land and Western Australia. 

Pere la Chaise. — The name of the eastern cemetery of Paris ; 
it derives its name from occupying the site of a house which 
belonged to a priest named La Chaise. 

Plate Kiver, or Eiver of Silver.— An immense estuary, formed 
by the junction of the Paraguay and Parana, and extending forty 
miles above Buenos Ayres, a total distance of 270 miles. 

Poles. — A figurative expression to designate the two fixed 
points on the earth's surface, round which all the rest turn ; but, 
their site being surrounded by ice, they have been approached 
only at a distance of many miles. 

Polynesia. — A name given by modern geographers to various 
groups of islands in the Great Pacific Ocean, lying east of the 
Asiatic Islands and Australia, and on both sides of the equator, 
stretching through an extent of about 5100 miles from north to 
south, and 3600 from east to west. 

Pontine Marshes. — The name of a low marshy plain in the 
Papal States, about twenty-four miles long by ten broad. It is 
remarkable for the attempts made to drain it. This district is 
supposed to have been at bne time a gulf of the sea ; and within 
the historical period it was a fertile neighbourhood, containing 
towns and a considerable population. 



142 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Potosi, Silver Mines of. — These are situated in Potosi, a town 
of South America. They have yielded since their discovery 
silver, worth nearly two hundred millions sterling. 

Hidings. — The name of three territorial divisions of Yorkshire ? 
namely, east, west, and north riding. It is supposed to be a cor- 
ruption of trithing, Saxon for the third part of a county. 

Sahara. — The great desert of Africa, consisting of vast plains 
of burning sand, and covering an area nearly three times greater 
in extent than the whole of Prance. For a distance of 700 miles 
in one direction, no living creature finds a habitation ; and travel- 
lers rarely venture there. 

Sangllinetto. — The name borne to this day by a stream which 
runs into the Lake Thrasymenus, where, in the year 217 B.C., the 
Carthaginian general, Hannibal, defeated the Romans with such 
terrible slaughter, that the stream was filled with blood. 

Sarum, Old. — Sarum was formerly the name of the town now 
known as Salisbury (New Sarum). It was notorious for its 
political corruption, and on this account was eventually disfran- 
chised. 

Savannahs. — In South America, extensive plains similar to the 
prairies of North America. During the dry season their vege- 
tation is entirely destroyed, and the ground opens in crevices. 
With the rainy season a vigorous vegetation rapidly springs up 
again. 

Savoy. — A locality abutting on the Strand, London, which takes 
its name from the Duke of Savoy, who formerly had a palace here. 
It was afterwards converted into a plaee of confinement for debtors, 
and from this circumstance a popular error existed that it was a 
place privileged from arrest. 

Saxe. — The prefix of several small German duchies, the most 
considerable portions of which lie between Prussia, Saxony, 
Bavaria, and Hesse-Cassel, but of which some small districts lie 
in the Bavarian and Prussian territories. They are named 
Saxe-Coburg, Saxe-G-otha, Saxe-Meiriingen, Saxe-Weimar, Saxe- 
Altenburg, and Saxe-Hilburghausen. 

Scandinavia. — A name sometimes employed to designate the 
north-western peninsular portion of Europe ; and formerly the 



PLACES, PROVINCES, DISTRICTS, ETC. 143 

appellation of the three northern kingdoms, now known as 
Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. 

Schleswig-Holstein. — Two German duchies whose political 
troubles have been before the world for a number of years. 
In 1848 they refused to become incorporated as provinces of 
Denmark, and hence arose a conflict which has become notorious , 
and after a time was involved in endless complications. 

Scythian.— Pertaining to Scythia, a large country occupying 
the most northern parts of Europe and Asia. 

Seven United Provinces. — Seven of the northern provinces of 
the Netherlands, which, in 1579, seceded from the southern, and 
formed themselves into a commonwealth, with the Prince of 
Orange as Stacltholder. This separate kingdom existed till 1814, 
when it became united with the other provinces under the title 
of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. 

Sicilies, The Two, — Another name for the kingdom of Naples 
when it existed as a distinct dominion. 

Spanish Main. — A name given to the Atlantic Ocean and coast 
along the north part of South America, from the Leeward Islands 
to the Isthmus of Darien. 

Stannaries.— From the Latin stcmnum, tin. The districts of 
Cornwall and Devon, where the tin mines are wrought and the 
metal purified. The miners and tinners are privileged to sue and 
be sued only in their own courts, held before the lord-warden or 
his deputy ; so that they may not be drawn from their business 
to attend law- suits in distant courts. 

Steppes. — A name given to vast plains or level wastes of land, 
destitute of trees, and abounding in some parts of Eussia and 
Tartary. 

Stonelienge. — An object of curiosity on Salisbury Plain, con- 
sisting of a collection of immense stones to the number of a 
hundred and nine. Some of these stones being erect, and others 
reclining and prostrate, the supposition is that they formed at 
one time an extensive building ; which by comparison and inves- 
tigation is further conjectured to have been a Druidical temple. 
No certain indications of its origin or purpose have yet been 
discovered, nor is there the slightest clue to the process by 



144 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

which such enormous masses of stone were conveyed to this 
desolate spot and raised in their respective situations. 

Sunny South. — An epithet applied to Italy from its geogra- 
phical position, and consequent prevalence of sunny and unclouded 
skies. 

Tarpeian Rock. — A rocky eminence to the south of the capital 
of Rome, from which criminals sentenced to death were fre- 
quently thrown. It was so named to commemorate the treachery 
of Tarpeia, who, in the early period of Roman history, betrayed 
the city to the Sabines. 

Transalpine. — Lying or being beyond the Alps in respect to- 
Rome, that is, on the north or the west of the Alps ; opposed to 
Cisalpine. 

Transylvania. — A grand principality, forming part of the 
Hungarian estates of the imperial House of Austria, lying between 
Hungary, "Wallachia, and Moldavia. 

Tropics. — The tropics are two parallels from the equator, 
drawn through the ecliptic at those points where the ecliptic is 
at the greatest distance from the equator. When the sun is 
opposite to one of the tropics, those people who are as far from 
the corresponding pole as the tropic is from the equator, see the 
sun for more than twenty-four hours. 

Ukraine. — An extensive country in the south-east part of 
Russian Poland, now represented by the Russian governments of 
Kiev, Podolia, Charkow, and Poltava. 

Vendee, La. — A department in the western part of France, 
formed from the ancient Poitou, and deriving its name from the 
River Vendee. In the beginning of the first French Revolution, 
the inhabitants of this part of the country, who were attached to 
the royalist cause, maintained a war against the republican 
government of a protracted and formidable nature. The peculiar 
nature of the place, containing small woods and thickets, and 
being intercepted by ditches and small canals, was well calculated 
for maintaining a partisan war. 

Vistula. — An important river of Europe. It rises in the Car- 
pathian mountains, and flows through Poland and Prussia into 
the Baltic. It is navigable through the greater part of its course, 



PLACES, PROVINCES, DISTRICTS, ETC. 145 

and forms a most important channel to the great corn districts 
through which it passes. 

Weald of Kent. — A large district in the county of Kent, 
containing several market-towns, namely, Cranbrook, Smarden, 
Tenterden, Bicldenden, &c. It is so called from the growth of 
large timber, oak particularly ; weald being a Saxon term, sig- 
nifying a woody district. 



146 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST 



SECTIOIT XII. 

RACES, PEOPLES, TRIBES, CLASSES, etc. 

Abii. — A wandering tribe of Scythians, remarkable for their 
simple mode of life, peaceful habits, and integrity of conduct. 
They only moved as the pasture for their cattle demanded change, 
and on such occasions carried whatever they possessed with 
them. 

Aborigines. — The original inhabitants of any country or state, 
in contradistinction from the colonists or more recent settlers. 
This name was given specially to the former inhabitants of 
Latium, or the country now called Campagna di Roma. 

Acrobates. — Ancient rope-dancers and vaulters, whose per- 
formances were conducted from a great height, and consisted 
chiefly of leaping forwards or sliding down in imitation of flying. 
The street performers of the present day have adopted this name. 

Albinos. — A variety of the human race, distinguished by a 
preternatural whiteness of the skin, white hair, red or blue eyes, 
and a feeble constitution. They are most numerous among the 
African negroes. 

Amazons. — A nation of renowned women, who lived near 
the River Thermodor, in Cappadocia. They were remarkable 
for their masculine habits, habitually indulged in manly 
exercises, and were employed in war. In order to throw the 
javelin with greater force, and use the bow more dexterously, 
they are said to have burnt their right breasts off. By some 
authors, this account of the Amazons is regarded as fiction, but 
evidence in favour of their existence greatly preponderates. 

Anak 5 Sons of. — A gigantic and warlike race of men, destroyed 
by Joshua. 

Anglo-Saxons. — A designation given to the people who in- 



RACES, PEOPLES, TRIBES, ETC. 147 

vaded and conquered England after the departure of the Romans. 
They were a tribe inhabiting the north of Germany. 

Antediluvians. — The inhabitants of the earth before the Flood. 

Antipodes. — Persons so named in geography, who live dia- 
metrically opposite to one another, as it were, feet to feet. They 
have equal latitudes, the one north, and the other south ; conse- 
quently, when it is clay to the one, it is night to the other ; and 
when summer to the one, winter to the other. 

Arcadians. — A pastoral people, said to have ameliorated their 
original savage condition by the cultivation of music. They 
appear to have been a branch of the great Pelasgic nation, 
which at one time seems to have extended from the Italian penin- 
sula to Asia Minor. 

Assassin. — This word is supposed to be a corruption of Al 
Hassan, the name of a certain prince of the family of the Arsacidse, 
who insisted upon his subjects paying a blind obedience to his com- 
mands ; and employed them in murdering the princes with whom 
he was at enmity. In the year 1192 they destroyed Conrad, 
Marquis of Montserrat, a zealous Crusader ; and in 1213, Lewis 
of Bavaria. The whole race of the Assassins were put to the 
sword by Heligan Khan, a Persian chieftain, in 1261. 

AtMetse. — The name given to persons of great strength or 
agility, who distinguished themselves by contending for the 
prizes at the Olympic, Pythian, and other games of Greece and 
Home. The victors were held in high honour, and all foreigners 
were disqualified for sharing in the contest. 

AnguTS. — Among the ancient Romans, persons who pretended 
to foretell events, by every species of divination, as the flight and 
song of birds, dreams, terrestrial and celestial phenomena, &c. 
These predictions were regarded as having an equal influence 
upon public and private affairs. 

Aztecs. — The name of a tribe of Indians who last settled in 
that part of America now called Mexico. They were extremely 
superstitious, and worshipped a number of deities. They also 
indulged in a variety of fantastic theories and grotesque fancies 
in connection with art, science, and internal government. They 
became extinct as a people in 1521. 



148 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Banditti.— The name of organized bands of robbers which 
have been fostered in Italy by the mountainous nature of a 
great part of the peninsula. Their principal haunts in recent 
times have been the country about the frontiers of the Roman 
and Neapolitan states. Several of the bandit chiefs have been 
men of education and originally high position; and, in every 
ease, the men occupying this position have been enabled to 
exercise considerable influence and power. 

Barbarians. — A collective term employed in connection with 
ancient history to designate all the world, except the inhabitants 
of Greece and Rome. 

Bards. — Among the Druids, these were professional poets; 
and with all ancient people such employments were recognised 
and connected with religion, rhapsody, prophecy, and music. 

Bayaderes. — A Portuguese name for Indian dancing girls. 
They are partly employed to dance at the festivities of the 
Indian chiefs, and partly to perform the office of priestesses. 

Bedouins. — A tribe of wandering Arabs, who live in tents, 
and rove from place to place, existing to some extent upon 
plunder, much the same as the Gipsy tribe. 

Bosjesmen. — Natives of Africa, whose precise locality is 
the hills contiguous to the Orange River, which forms one of 
the boundaries of the British settlements, at the Cape ot Good 
Hope. 

Bravos. — Hirec\ assassins in various parts of Italy, who on 
payment of a certain sum, undertake to kill any person who is 
obnoxious to another, and whose death is desired. 

Buccaneers. — A general name for the pirates who formerly 
made war on the Spaniards in their West Indian possessions. 

Caffres. — A race of negroes, whose physical characteristics 
more nearly approach those of Europeans than any other African 
tribe. They live on the confines of Cape Colony. The name 
Caffre was given them by the Portuguese, from the word Cqfir, 
signifying heretic, unbeliever, or one far removed from the 
knowledge of Christianity. 

Cagots. — An unfortunate and degraded race of human beings 
who are found in the south of France near the Pyrenees. 



RACES, PEOPLES, TRIBES, ETC. 149 

They are mostly beggars, depending upon casual charity and 
performing the meanest offices for a subsistence. They are 
afflicted with various diseases, and are shunned, despised, and 
abandoned to their misery. In former ages they were shut out 
from society as lepers, cursed as heretics, and abhorred as 
cannibals. In churches they had a separate place set apart 
for them, to which they were admitted by a private entrance. 
Their feet were bored with an iron, and they were forced to 
wear an egg-shell on their clothes by way of distinction. Their 
origin is uncertain — some tracing them to the Goths, and others 
to the Saracens. 

Castes. — Among the Hindoos the division of the people into 
classes, with fixed occupations and certain social rank. A 
strong line of demarcation is drawn between the various castes, 
to venture beyond which is deemed intrusive, and to recede from 
which is considered degrading. 

Caucasian Eace. — A term applied to the white race of man- 
kind, supposed to have originated from the regions of the 
Caucasus, and which now covers the whole of Europe, and a 
part of Asia. 

Celtse.— The Celts, a great people of Gaul, a portion of the 
Indo-Germanic race, who at a very early period spread from 
east and west across Central Europe. The Celts swarmed into 
Gaul and Germany; and afterwards overran Spain, Portugal, 
Britain, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. 

Centlimviri. — A hundred judges appointed by the praetor to de- 
cide common causes amongst the Koman people. They were made 
up of the most learned in the laws and elected out of the thirty- 
five tribes of the people. They were in process of time increased 
to one hundred and eighty, yet still retained their original name. 

Cherokees. — An Indian tribe in the northern parts of 
the State of Georgia, formerly of great note, but now on the 
decline. They are the most enlightened of all the Indian tribes, 
and are generally occupied in agricultural pursuits. 

Children of the East.— A name given to the Arabians. 

Choctaws.— One of the aboriginal tribes still inhabiting the 
southern States of the North American Union ; they are now 



150 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

entirely restricted to the State of Mississippi, of which they 
occupy the middle portion. Formerly they were a powerful tribe, 
but their number has been reduced by war and emigration, and 
they are now represented by less than ten thousand individuals, 
subsisting chiefly by the rearing of cattle and swine. 

Oimlbri. — A Teutonic race, who originally occupied Jutland 
and part of Denmark. 

Circassians. — The inhabitants of a country situated on the 
northern declivity of Mount Caucasus, and now nominally em- 
braced within the limits of the Eussian empire. They are re- 
markable for their love of warlike expeditions. 

Clergy, Regular. — A designation implying the ecclesiastical 
orders which existed under some religious rule (regula), such as 
abbots or monks. In contradistinction were the secular clergy, 
namely, those who did not live under a religious rule, but had the 
care of souls, as bishops and priests. 

Colporteurs. — In France, a body of men who travel for the 
purpose of distributing or vending small books, religious tracts, 
&c. The transactions of these persons are very extensive, and 
the rural and remote districts of France almost wholly rely upon 
them for their supply of literature. 

Conscript Fathers.— -A title originally given to those senators 
of Rome who were elected after the expulsion of Tarquin, and 
whose names were inscribed (conscripti) in the register of the 
senate. The term came to be afterwards applied to all the 
senators. 

Coptic. — Relating to the descendants of the ancient Egyptians, 
called Copts or Copthi, as distinguished from the Arabians and 
other inhabitants of modern Egypt. 

Cossacks.— A Avarlike people, who inhabit the Ukraine, or the 
countries bordering on Russia, Tartary, the north of Turkey, 
Mongolia, and China. They are subjected to Russia, but are 
governed by their own laws, and have usages peculiar to them- 
selves. They form the irregular troops of Russia, and in times 
of war it is estimated that they can supply that power with a 
force of nearly 100,000 men. 

Cree Indians. — A numerous and widely-extended nation of the 



EACES, PEOPLES, TEIBES, ETC. 151 

aboriginal inhabitants of North America, inhabiting the shores of 
Hudson's Bay, from Moose river to the mouth of Churchill river, 
and thence extending westward to the Athabasca Lake, and to the 
plains which lie between the forks of the Saskatchewan. 

Creek Indians. — A tribe of the native inhabitants of the 
United States of America, occupying formerly all the countries 
lying north of latitude 31° between the Flint river, the eastern 
branch of the Chutahoochee, and the western branch of the Mobile 
river. 

Creoles. — The offspring of a black woman by a white father, 
or of a white woman by a black father. When the negroes were 
introduced into Spanish America, they called their own children 
born in bondage Creoles; and this term was taken up by the 
Europeans, and applied to the issue of the copper-coloured natives 
with the negresses. 

Croats. — Inhabitants of Croatia, a territory comprising several 
districts and countries in the southern part of Austria, the greater 
part of which is incorporated with the kingdom of Hungary, of 
which it forms the south-western division. The Croats are a 
warlike people, and furnish some of the best corps in the Austrian 
army. 

Dames des Kalles.— The market-women of France ; they form 
a kind of corporation among themselves, in which capacity they 
receive a semi-recognition on state occasions and on the celebra- 
tion of public solemnities. 

Banes. — The general designation given by the English to all 
the northern piratical adventurers who attacked England from 
time to time during the eighth and ninth centuries, and succeeded 
in establishing sovereign power in England during a portion of 
the eleventh century ; in this country, however, they lost their 
power in 1049, and their subsequent history is connected with 
the kingdom of Denmark. 

Decnriones. — A name anciently given to certain persons who 
corresponded to the senators of Eome, in the Eoman towns and 
Italian colonies which enjoyed free municipal rights ; the whole 
administration of the internal affairs of such places being in their 



152 THE HISTOEICAL FINGER-POST: 

hands. At the head of the body were two presidents, who were 
chosen by the citizens. 

DragOinans.— The interpreters attached to the European con- 
sulates and embassies in the Levant are so called. At Constan- 
tinople they are the chief, and in most cases the sole, medium of 
communication between Christian ambassadors who are ignorant 
of the Turkish language, and the Ottoman Porte. They are 
natives of the country, and are chiefly descended from former 
Genoese or Venetian settlers. 

Esquimaux. — The name of the inhabitants of Greenland,, a 
diminutive race of people, living in rude habitations, clothing 
themselves in the skins of animals, and subsisting principally by 
hunting and fishing. 

Faithful, The. — The religious title which the followers of 
Mohammed apply to themselves ; and in contradistinction from 
the Christians and other creeds, whom they regard as heretics and 
infidels. 

Familiars of the Inquisition. — The title of those officers 
who assisted in the apprehension of suspected persons brought 
before the Inquisition. They were so called because they be- 
longed to the family of the Inquisitor. 

Fanaristes— A name given to the inhabitants of the Fanar, or 
Greek quarter of Constantinople. 

Fantees. — A nation inhabiting a part of the Gold Coast of 
"Western Africa. They are a people of primitive habits, and 
principally employed in fishing. 

Fills. — The name of a portion of the population of Russia, and 
of the countries adjacent to the Gulfs of Finland and Bothnia 
and the Frozen Ocean. 

Flamens.— In Roman antiquity, the title of certain priests 
devoted to the service of any particular deity, and who received 
distinguishing epithets from the deity administered to. The 
most eminent were the Flamen Dialis, Flamen Martialis, and 
Flamen Quirinalis. 

Franks.— A German tribe, the members of which first appeared 
about the second century, when they lived between the Weser 
and the Lower Rhine. As early as the fourth century they 



RACES, PEOPLES, TRIBES, ETC. 153 

made incursions into Gaul, and at length succeeded in esta- 
blishing a small kingdom, which in 987, under Hugh Capet, 
became France. 

Fllggers and Welsers.— Families of this name who flourished 
at Augsburg about 1528, and who were the great capitalists and 
speculators of their age. When the discovery of the south-west 
passage began to act injuriously upon the old and beaten line of 
commercial intercourse with India, they opened an establish- 
ment in Antwerp for trading to the East, and joined with some 
merchants of Florence and Genoa in the outfit of three vessels to 
Calcutta. 

Galley Slaves. — The name given to condemned criminals, who 
were formerly punished by being employed as rowers on board 
the galleys, a species of large-sized vessel propelled by oars and 
sails, and extensively employed in the Mediterranean until the 
end of the eighteenth century. These criminals, although still 
retaining their original name, are no longer employed in the same 
manner, but are set to labour in the docks and military harbours 
of France, Spain, and Italy, where they have gained an unhappy 
notoriety for misery, filth, and vice, and the utter degradation of 
human nature. 

Galway, Tribes of. — This was an expression used by Crom- 
well's forces, as a term of reproach against the natives of the 
town of Galway, in Ireland. It was meant to deride the loyalty 
and attachment which existed between the townsmen during the 
time of their troubles and persecutions, but was afterwards 
adopted by the oppressed as an honourable mark of distinction 
between themselves and their oppressors. These tribes or 
families, who colonised Galway in the thirteenth century, were 
thirteen in number, according to the following distich : — 

Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, Deane, Darcy, Lynch, 
Joyes, Kirwan, Martin, Morris, Skerrett, French. 

Gentoo. — A native of India or Hindostan, a follower of the 
religion of the Brahmins. 

Giaour. — A word applied by way of contempt in Turkey to an 
unbeliever in the Mohammedan faith, especially to a Christian. 



154 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Gipsies. — These peculiar people are said to have migrated from 
the East about the beginning of the fifteenth century. They 
appeared in Paris as pilgrims in 1427, in a troop of more than a 
hundred, representing themselves as Christians driven out of 
Egypt by the Mussulmans. The common notion that they are 
descended from the Egyptians has been disproved ; there is little 
doubt that they migrated originally from Hindostan, at the time 
of the invasion of Timur Beg. 

Gladiators. — Persons who fought in the public arena at Some 
for the amusement of the populace. They were usually slaves, 
and were expected to continue the combat until one of them was 
killed. 

Gondoliers. — The name of the boatmen, or rowers of the 
gondolas, of Venice. Owing to their numbers, they form an 
important body of the people. They are famed for their wit and 
good humour, and for the skill with which they manage their 
craft. 

Homerides. — The inhabitants of the Isle of Chios, who 
pretended to be descended from the poet Homer ; and who, on 
this account, received marks of distinction from their fellow- 
citizens. 

Hong Merchants. — The name given in China to the European 
merchants settled chiefly at Canton, whose transactions are 
conducted on a large scale, and who form among themselves an 
important commercial community. 

Hordes. — Migratory companies of people occasionally dwelling 
in tents or waggons, and seldom locating themselves in any one 
spot. Their chief occupation consists of invading neighbouring 
territories for the purposes of rapine and plunder; such were 
the Scythian and Tartar hordes of early history. 

Hims. — The name given by historians to several nomadic 
Scythian tribes who devastated the Eoman empire in the fifth 
century. These people inhabited the plains of Tartary near the 
borders of the Chinese empire for several centuries before the 
Christian era. After committing ravages and making incursions 
both to the East and the West, they were finally dispersed and 
overthrown. 



RACES, PEOPLES, TRIBES, ETC. 155 

Icini. — The ancient appellation of the people of Suffolk, 
Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and Huntingdonshire. 

Iman. — A term applied, by way of excellence, to the four 
chiefs or founders of the four principal sects of the Mohammedan 
faith. 

Jacques Bonhomme. — A name given in derision by the ancient 
French nobles to the peasants whom they held in serfdom, and 
whom they roused to rebellion by their cruelties and systematic 
oppression. 

Jurisconsult.— In ancient Rome, a person skilled in Roman 
jurisprudence, and who was consulted on the interpretation of the 
laws and customs, and on the difficult points in law-suits. 

Jlltes. — An old Teutonic or Scandinavian tribe, which, in the 
fifteenth century appears to have been settled in the northern 
part of the Chersonesus Cimbrica, which is still called after their 
name, Jutland. The first Germanic invaders of Britain, after the 
departure of the Romans, were the Jutes, under their leaders 
Horsa and Xiengist, in the year 455. They landed on the Island 
of Thanet, and settled in Kent. 

Kshatri. — One of the mixed classes of the Hindoos, which 
sprang from the marriage of a Kshatriya woman with a man of 
inferior rank. 

Kshatriyas. — One of the four castes recognised as pure in the 
Hindoo writings. 

Kurds. — Natives of Kurdistan, a country comprehending the 
larger portion of that mountainous region which divides the 
elevated table-land of Persia from the low plains of Mesopotamia. 

Lampadary. — An officer in the ancient church of Constanti- 
nople ; so called from his employment, which was to take care of 
the lamps, and carry a taper before the emperor or patriarch 
when they went to church, or walked in procession. 

Lascar. — The name given to the native sailors of India, many 
of whom are in the employ of our East India merchantmen. 

Latins. — The inhabitants of the oldest known nations of Italy, 
who are said to have come down at some remote period, long 
before the building of Rome, from the central Apennines into the 
lower country, which was afterwards called Latium. 



156 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Lazzaroili — In Naples, the vagrant population and the lowest 
orders of the inhabitants. They amount to some thousands ; 
many of them have neither settled occupation nor home, living 
by day in the open air, and at night huddled together under 
porches, in narrow alleys, in boats, or wherever shelter can be 
found. The Lazzaroni form themselves into an organized body, 
having chiefs, whom they follow in times of political agitation or 
warfare. They are thus enabled to exercise a certain amount of 
influence, and are courted or feared accordingly. 

Literati. — An epithet applied at the present clay to men of 
letters as a class. Among the Romans, however, it had a very 
different signification, and denoted those criminals upon whom 
some ignominious letter or mark was branded. 

Lombard. — An ancient name in England for a banker. It was 
derived from the Lombards, a company of Italian merchants, 
who were the great money-changers and usurers of the thirteenth 
century ; they appear to have settled in England before the year 
1274, and to have taken up their residence in a street of London 
still known as Lombard Street. . 

Lords Spiritual and Temporal. — This term applies to the 
members of the House of Lords. The " Lords Spiritual " are 
the archbishops and bishops of the English Church, and one 
archbishop and three bishops of the Irish Church. The " Lords 
Temporal " are all the peers of England of full age and sane 
mind, sixteen peers of Scotland, and twenty-eight of Ireland. The 
number of peers of Ireland and Scotland is fixed, but that of 
England is variable, depending upon the casualties of minorities 
and the will of the sovereign. 

Luceres. — In Roman antiquity, the third in order of the three 
tribes into which Romulus divided the people, including all fo- 
reigners, and so called from the lucus, or grove, where he opened 
an asylum for them. 

Magi. — The ancient priests of Persia ; the date of whose origin 
is uncertain. They professed an utter aversion to images, and 
worshipped their god under the form of fire. They were super- 
seded by the Mohammedans, and sank into obscurity at the end 
of the tenth century. 



RACES, PEOPLES, TRIBES, ETC. 157 

Magyars. — The original name of the Hungarians, and one 
which they still use in preference to any other. 

Maroons. — The designation given to revolted negroes in the 
West Indies and in some parts of South America. 

Matadores. — The name of the men who in Spanish bull-fights 
are employed to worry and finally kill the bull. 

Minnesingers. — German lyric poets of the middle ages, whose 
name arose from love being the chief subject of their poems ; the 
ancient German word minne being used to denote a pure and 
faithful attachment. 

Minstrels. — Poets and musicians who, in the early ages r 
wandered from place to place and from castle to castle ; they 
were suffered to travel unmolested by the numerous marauders 
of the time, and were welcomed with delight in the halls of the 
rich and the noble. Their custom was to entertain the company 
upon long winter evenings with the recitals of deeds of arms T 
and tales of love, interspersed with song, and accompanied upon 
the harp. 

Moors. — The name generally given to the Arabs who subdued 
Spain at the beginning of the eighth century, and retained 
possession of it until the end of the fifteenth. Their designation 
is derived from their having come from a part of Africa called 
Mauritania by the Romans. 

Muscovites. — Another name for the people of Russia. 

Mazarites. — A peculiar people among the ancient Jews. They 
took a vow of abstinence, and used neither wine, strong drink., 
vinegar, nor grapes. They lived in tents, and imitated the pas- 
toral life of the old patriarchal families. They allowed their hair 
to grow its full length, and would never touch a dead body. 

Koma&es. — In antiquity a name given to several nations whose 
sole occupation was the feeding and tending of their flocks. 

Novemviri. — The Latin name for nine magistrates of Athens^ 
whose government lasted but one year. The first was called 
ArcJion, or prince ; the second, Basileus, or king ; the third, Pole- 
marcJuis, or general of the army ; and the other six Thesmothetce. 

Novi Homines. — A Latin phrase signifying literally new men. 
Among the ancient Romans such persons as by their individual 



158 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

merit and influence had raised themselves to magisterial dignity 
without the assistance of family connections. 

Nubians. — Natives of Nubia, a country in Africa between 
Egypt and Abyssinia. 

Ostrogoths. — A division of the great Gothic nation, settled in 
Pannonia in the fifth century, whence they extended their dominion 
over Noricum, Khsetia, and Illyricum. 

Palmer.— In the time of the crusades a pilgrim bearing a staff, 
or one who returned from the Holy Land, carrying branches of 
palm. The palmer was distinguished from other pilgrims by his 
extreme poverty, and by his living on the charitable contributions 
of those among whom he journeyed. 

Pariahs. — The lowest class in some parts of Hindostan ; in a 
general sense, persons without caste. 

Parsees. — The name given to those Persian refugees who were 
driven from their country by Mohammedan intolerance and per- 
secution. 

Parthenm — About 740 B.C. the Spartans were at war with 
the Messenians, and with a view to utterly subduing the latter, 
the soldiers of the Spartan army, consisting of the greater part 
of the citizens who had attained the military age, bound them- 
selves by a solemn oath not to return home till they had conquered 
their enemies. The war being protracted beyond expectation, 
and the Senate fearing that the Spartan race would become 
extinct, invited the young men who had not assumed the obliga- 
tion to return home. This they did, but the children born from 
this source were not looked upon with favour, and became a 
separate community, to which the name of Parthenise was given. 

Pelasgi. — The name of the aboriginal inhabitants of Greece. 

Picts. — An ancient people of North Britain, whose origin is 
obscure, and whose history is uncertain. They are first mentioned 
by a Roman author, towards the close of the third century, and are 
said to have been extinguished as a nation by Kenneth the Second, 
who, in 483, conquered this people and united the whole of North 
Britain under one monarchy. 

Pilgrim Fathers. — Certain English Puritans, who, in the year 
1620, landed at Massachusetts Bay, North America, and who thus 



RACES, PEOPLES, TRIBES, ETC. 159 

became the founders of what were afterwards called the United 
States of America. 

Piniiarpi. — A class of gladiators at Eome, who were commonly 
pitted against the Samnites. They derived their name from the 
jnnnce that adorned the Samnite helmet, which they used to 
aim at, and endeavour to bear away in triumph. 

Potitii. — An order of Soman priests, instituted by Evander in 
honour of Hercules, after he had slain the giant Cacus, who had 
stolen some of his cattle ; they were always clad in the skins of 
beasts. 

Provengal Poets, — Another designation for troubadours, so 
called because the southern portions of France and Spain, whence 
they originated, bore in common the name of Provence. 

Publicans. — The name of the Roman agents who collected the 
revenues and taxes from the Jews. They took their stations at 
the gates of cities, and in the public ways, for the " receipt of 
custom." They examined the goods that passed, and levied the 
duties that were payable. These tax-gatherers, by their extortions 
and insults, rendered themselves objects of hatred. In Judea 
they were reckoned in the same class with notorious sinners ; 
and, although they were Jews, the Pharisees would hold no com- 
munication with them. 

Pundit. — The title of learned Brahmins in Hindostan. 

Quadroon. — Quarter-blooded, that is to say, the offspring of a 
mulatto woman by a white man. 

Eapparee. — A name formerly given to certain armed plunderers 
in Ireland, from the rapery or species of half-pike which they 
carried. 

Eed Men. — A name sometimes given to the North American 
Indians. 

Rhinoculura. — The name of a colony of criminals who were 
transported to a spot near the desert between Egypt and Syria. 
These people having been found guilty of certain crimes, were 
punished by Actisanes, an early king of Ethiopia, by cutting their 
noses off, and then banishing them to this spot. 

Hyots. — The name in India, by which the renters of the land 
are distinguished. They hold their possessions by a lease, which 



160 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

may be considered as perpetual, and at a rate fixed by ancient 
surveys and valuations. 

Sabines. — Originally the allies of Eome and afterwards their 
enemies ; they were defeated and made subject to Rome 290 B.C. 

Samnites.— An ancient nation or confederacy of nations, in 
Central Italy, known in history for its bravery and long struggle 
against Rome. The Samnites were also a sort of Roman gladiators, 
so called because they were armed after the manner of that 
people. 

Saracens. — The ancient people of Arabia, supposed to have 
originated from the obscure wandering tribes of the desert. 

Sfoirri. — A police force which existed in the Papal and other 
Italian states. They lived in their own houses, were furnished 
with arms, and held themselves in readiness to sally out for the 
purpose of tracing bad characters or suspected persons. In the 
kingdom of Naples this force rendered itself particularly odious 
to the people by its numerous acts of petty tyranny, cruelty, and 
fraud, and in obedience to the popular voice it was on the deposi- 
tion of the king of Naples in 1860 suppressed. 

Scalds. — Poets or bards of the northern nations of Europe. 

Scots. — This people appear to have been descended from the 
Britons of the south, or from the Caledonians, both of Celtic origin. 

Serfs. — Slaves employed to cultivate the soil, and in most cases 
attached to and transferred with it. Such were the Russian serfs 
who have now obtained their freedom. 

Shem, Ham, and Japhet, Descendants of.— From Shem, the 
nations of Asia are said to be derived ; from Ham, those of Africa ; 
and from Japhet, those of Europe. 

Sibyls. — Certain women of antiquity who pretended to be 
endowed with a prophetic spirit. They resided in various parts 
of Persia, Greece, and Italy, and were consulted on all important 
occasions. 

Socii. — A name given by the ancient Romans to those states, 
which were suffered to retain their own laws and governors on 
condition that they assisted the Romans in their wars. 

Squatters. — A term applied to colonists who settle on waste 
lands which they have not purchased from the government. 



KACES, PEOPLES, TRIBES, ETC. 161 

Suevi. — A people of ancient Germany, who made frequent 
Incursions into the territories of Kome, when under the emperors. 

Sybarites.— The name of a people who dwelt at Sybaris, a 
town in Great Greece, near the southern extremity of Italy. Its 
inhabitants were noted for their luxurious and indolent habits, 
combined with an extravagance which displayed itself in giving 
costly entertainments. 

Teutonic Race— A people represented to have emigrated 
originally from Asia into Europe at different periods unknown 
to history. In the days of Julius Caesar, Northern Germany, 
Holland, Belgium, and a part of the countries on the middle 
Rhine appear to have been inhabited by Teutonic nations belong- 
ing to the northern or Saxon branch. 

Thetes. — The lowest class of people among the Athenians. 
They were excluded from office, were not liable to pay taxes nor 
to serve in heavy armour ; they were employed generally as 
light-armed soldiers. 

Thugs. — The name given to a class of robbers and murderers 
in India, who are banded in a sort of association, and are animated 
by a variety of superstitions. They usually move in large gangs 
and attach themselves to travelling parties. At a given signal a 
sudden attack is made, one division of these wretohes strangling 
their victims, while the others prepare their graves ; by this 
means the work of assassination is accomplished with fearful 
celerity, and all traces of it effaced. This murderous system has 
of late years received a great check by the energetic steps taken 
to detect the offenders and bring them to justice. The name 
implies literally deceivers, from a Hindoo word, thugna, to deceive. 
They are also named Phansegars, from phansna, to strangle. 

Troglodytes. — In ancient history several races of men, repre- 
sented as living in caves, feeding on serpents, and expressing 
their ideas by unconnected sounds. 

Troubadours.— A class of minstrels who made their appearance 
in Provence in the eleventh century. They were the founders 
of modern versification, frequently singing their own songs to 
the music of their harps, and' when they were not able to do 
the latter, minstrels accompanied them, who recited the lays the 



162 THE HISTOEICAL FINGER-POST : 

troubadour composed. Their most flourishing period was from 
about 1200 to 1250. 

Vandals. — An ancient people composed of various tribes of 
Teutonic and also of Sclavonic origin, and who inhabited Eastern 
Prussia, or Pomerania. From the fierce character of this people, 
the word is used in a modern sense to signify barbarians, or 
ferocious cruel persons. 

Varinghians. — The name given to certain Norman adventurers, 
with whom originated the name of Kussia, given to an empire 
founded by them from various Sclavonic and Finnish populations. 

Vavassor. — A term applied in the ancient records of England, 
Scotland, France, Lombardy, and Arragon, to persons holding 
fiefs not immediately under the king, or other persons possessing 
regal power, but under some intermediate lord. 

Vestals. — A name given to six virgins, who took a vow of 
perpetual chastity, and were employed to watch the sacred fire, 
which was kept incessantly burning on the altar of the goddess 
Vesta. 

Visigoths, or Westward Goths, formed a separate division from 
their brethren the Ostrogoths, or Eastern Goths, in 330. After 
various incursions into neighbouring states, they formed the Gothic 
kingdom in Spain, and were finally overthrown by the Saracens 
in 711. 

Volsci. — An ancient people of Italy, among the early Latin 
enemies of Rome. For many years they made war against Rome 
with varied success, and were absorbed as a Roman province, . 
338 B.C. 

Walloons. — The name of the inhabitants of the southern 
districts of the Netherlands in the sixteenth and seventeenth 
centuries. They were celebrated for the art of dyeing. 



MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS. 163 



seotioit xin. 
MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS. 

Bandes Noires. — An appellation given in the first instance to 
a body of German foot-soldiers who were employed in the Italian 
wars by Louis the Twelfth, of France. They received their 
name from carrying black ensigns after the death of a favourite 
commander. Another body of troops, formed of Italians, after- 
wards took the same name from the same cause. 

Beef-Eaters. — The yeomen of the guard of the sovereign of 
Great Britain, vulgarly so called. The term is a corruption of the 
French buffetiers (from buffet, meaning sideboard), it being one 
of the duties of this guard to stand by the sideboard during 
royal dinners of state. 

Black BriHLSWickers — The name given to a military corps com- 
manded by the Dukes of Brunswick. Charles William Ferdinand 
commanded the Prussian army in the war with France ; he was 
defeated at Jena, September 14th, 1806, and died of his wounds, 
at Altona, November 10th, of the same year. Napoleon refused 
to allow him to be interred in the ancestral vault of the family ; 
and for this indignity, the regiment he commanded vowed to take 
signal vengeance on their enemies, and that for the future they 
would fight to the death, and neither take nor give quarter. This 
threat was put into execution, and the Black Brunswickers 
became the terror of their foes, more especially at the Battle of 
Quatre Bras, fought on the 16th of June, 1815, and in which 
Louis Ernest, son of the preceding duke, was killed. 

Bowmen, English. — That part of the English army which 
existed before the invention of fire-arms, the men being 
furnished with the cross-bow and long-bow as offensive weapons. 

G 2 



164 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

The English bowmen were long noted for their sturdiness, the 
strength of their arm, and the precision of their aim. 

Captain-General. — Formerly the highest rank in the English 
army, answering to the more recent field-marshal. 

Cent-Snisses. — A select infantry corps instituted by Louis the 
Eleventh in 1471, comprising one hundred men, all natives of 
Switzerland. It formed a part of the. royal household, and was 
always about the person of the king. It was suppressed during 
the first Revolution, but was re-established in 1830. 

Centurion. — A Roman officer who had the command of a 
centuria or division of one hundred men. They were chosen from 
among the common soldiers according to their merit. 

Chasseurs d'Afrique.— A French body of cavalry destined 
specially for service in Africa. 

Coldstream Guards. — In the English army, a regiment of 
infantry, so named from Coldstream, a town of Scotland, in 
Berwickshire. Here, General Monk first raised the regiment in 
question, and with it marched into England to restore Charles 
the Second. 

Condottieri. — In Italian history, a class of military mercenary 
adventurers, who, during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries 
had followers amounting to armies, which were hired out to 
sovereign princes and states. They were well armed ' and 
equipped, and many of their leaders evinced considerable bravery 
and military skill. 

Cuirassiers. — Heavy cavalry, armed with cuirasses. Most of 
the German powers, especially Austria and Prussia, have 
regiments of cuirassiers. They also form a portion of the French 
cavahy. 

Dragonnades. — Expeditions of dragoons under Louis the* 
Fourteenth against the Protestants of France, to endeavour to 
force them to become Papists. 

Enfants Perdus. — A military fraternity which has been asso- 
ciated with the arms of France from the introduction of infantry. 
These soldiers volunteered their services for every sort of perilous 
expedition and daring enterprise ; and from time to time their 



MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS. 165 

name has been recorded in connection with several brilliant 
military achievements. Their designation, enfants perdus (lost 
children), is obviously in allusion to the dangerous and almost 
hopeless nature of the services they undertook. 

Perentarii. — Among the Romans, auxiliary troops, lightly 
armed ; their weapons being a sword, arrows, and a sling. There 
was also another corps of the same name, whose business was to 
carry arms after the army, and to be ready to supply the soldiers 
therewith in battle. 

Garde Mobile. — A corps created in Paris, in 1848, for the 
reception of the young men thrown out of employment by the 
revolution. 

Gendarmerie. — From gens d'armes, men-at-arms ; under the 
old French monarchy, a chosen corps of cavalry. The gendarmerie 
were afterwards formed into a body of soldiers intrusted with the- 
duties of police all over France ; it furnishes patrols, arrests cri- 
minals, examines the passports of travellers, and contributes to* 
the maintenance of good order. The gendarmerie form a distinct 
corps in the army, under their own superior officers, who are 
subject to the"orders of the ministers of the interior and of police ;: 
in case of war they may be called into active service, like the 
other portions of the army. This corps is mostly recruited from 
old and deserving soldiers of other regiments. 

General Commander-in-Chief.— The head of the English army 
has this title when the post is filled by a field-marshal ; in other 
cases he is called general commanding -in-chief. 

Gentlemen-at-Arms.— A corps instituted by Henry the Eighth-,, 
the persons selected being gentlemen of noble blood. They 
were for some time called Gentlemen Pensioners, but in 1834 
received their present title. The duty of this body is to attend 
upon the sovereign on all great state occasions. 

Grenadiers. — These foot-soldiers were so called from their 
making use of hand-grenades, which they flung into the enemy's 
works previous to the assault. 

Hoplitae. — The heavy-armed horse-soldiers of Athens : they 
were always free citizens. 

Hussars.— Originally Hungarian and Polish horsemen. They 



166 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

were chiefly employed in making sorties and sudden onsets, and 
by some are supposed to have derived their name from the shouts 
or huzzas with which they rushed to the charge. Another 
supposition is that they are named from hussar, a Hungarian 
word meaning twentieth, because every twentieth man drawn in 
the conscription was obliged to enter the military service. In 
the earliest times they were attired in the most grotesque fashion, 
haying the skins of tigers or other wild animals hanging on their 
backs, and wearing a fur cap with a cock's feather in it ; hence 
the apparent incongruity of the modern uniform. 

Immortals. — In antiquity, the name of a body of ten thousand 
troops, constituting the guard of the King of Persia ; so called 
because they were always of the same number ; for, as soon as 
any of them died, the vacancy was immediately filled up. They 
were distinguished from all other troops by the richness of their 
armour, and still more for their bravery. The same term was 
applied to the life-guards of the Roman emperors. 

Infantry. — This word takes its origin from one of the Infantas 
of Spain, who, hearing that the army commanded by the king, 
her father, had been defeated by the Moors, assembled a body of 
foot-soldiers, and with them engaged and defeated the enemy. 
In memory of this event, and to distinguish the foot-soldiers, 
who were not before held in much esteem, they received the name 
of Infantry. 

Janisaries. — These were originally called " Yenghicheri," a 
Turkish word, meaning new soldiers. They were a military body 
first raised in 1359, by order of Amurath the First, who com- 
manded his officers to seize annually the most vigorous and 
comely of the captive Christian youth. They were then educated 
in the Mohammedan religion, inured to obedience by severe dis- 
cipline ; and, in order to arouse their martial ardour, they had 
conferred upon them every possible mark of honour or distinc- 
tion. - This corps became irresistible in war, and were accounted 
the terror of all nations. After • a time, they began to exercise 
a despotic power in their own country, revolted against their 
rulers, and at length becoming intolerable, they were suppressed 
and massacred, June 14, 1826. 



MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS. 167 

Kirk's Lambs. — An epithet derisively applied to a military- 
corps commanded by Colonel Kirk in the time of James the 
Second. They rendered themselves infamous by their ferocious 
bearing towards persons whose loyalty was suspected, and 
especially for the unscrupulous missions which they performed at 
the bidding of Cruel Judge Jeffreys. 

Landwehr. — The military of any country, especially that of 
Austria and of Prussia. The former are a sort of reserve to each 
regiment of the line ; they serve under the same colonel, and are 
drilled once a year with the line regiment. The Prussian land 1 
wehr is more completely organized. Every Prussian subject com- 
mences military service in the standing army, a force composed 
of the youth of the nation from twenty to twenty-five years old. 
After two or three years' service, the soldier proceeds to his 
home, but is liable to be called upon to join his regiment. At 
the expiration of five years from the date of enlistment, the men 
are drafted into the first class or levy of the landwehr, remaining 
in it until their thirty-second year. In time of war, they are liable 
to be called upon to serve with the regiment of the line of a 
corresponding number. From their thirty-second to their thirty- 
ninth year the men belong to the second levy, and are called out 
occasionally in time of peace, but in war they garrison the 
fortresses. 

Legion. — Among the ancient Eomans, a body of infantry, con- 
sisting of different numbers of men at different periods. Each 
legion was divided into ten cohorts, each cohort into ten compa- 
nies, and each company into two centuries. 

Mamelukes. — A species of military aristocracy, having its 
origin in Egypt, and possessing great power and influence in that 
country. As a military body, the Mamelukes greatly distinguished 
themselves, and especially on the occasion of the French invasion 
of Egypt. During the stay of Bonaparte in Egypt, he created a 
corps of Mamelukes from among the natives of the country ; they 
were formed into a company, dressed in the oriental costume, and 
were recognised as a portion of the French army. After the ab- 
dication of Napoleon, they were dispersed, and in part massacred. 
Marines.— Soldiers on board a ship of war. They perform 



168 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

none of the duties of sailors. They are trained to fight both at 
sea and on land, and are generally considered the most gallant 
troops the country possesses. 

Moss Troopers. — The name given to a set of military ma- 
rauders and lawless soldiers, who had for places of concealment 
the mosses on the borders of Scotland. They were driven out 
and extirpated in 1609. 

Municipal Guard. — A corps formed for the city of Paris in 
1802, and in 1813 re-named the Gendarmerie of Paris ; it was 
also called the Eoyal Guard during the first Kevolution. In 1830, 
a new municipal guard was created, and subsisted until the revo- 
lution of 1848, when it was suppressed. 

Myrmidons. — The name of a people who are said to have 
inhabited the borders of Thessaly, and who accompanied Achilles 
to the war against Troy ; hence the name became synonymous 
with desperate soldier or ruffian. 

National Guard. — A popular armed force of France, instituted 
in 1789, and composed of citizens. 

Oxford Blues. — A regiment of horse-guards formed by Charles 
the Second in 1660. It was the first corps established of the 
present English regular army. They were raised at Oxford, and 
were clad in a blue uniform, hence the designation. 

Peace Establishment. — The number of effective men required 
in the army and navy during the time of peace. 

Phalanx. — Among the Macedonians, a large compact body 
of about 16,000 heavy-armed pikemen, who formed a solid square, 
and were always placed in the centre of the battle. The 
phalanx was divided into ten battalions, each of which was 
usually drawn up a hundred men in front, and sixteen deep. 

Pindaries. — A set of freebooters in India, who formerly made 
continuous aggressions upon the British possessions, and who 
were encouraged in their acts by the Mahratta princes. They 
were at first bodies of mercenary horse, serving different 
princes for hire during war, and living on plunder in the time 
of peace. They were annihilated in 181 7, by the British forces. 

Praetorian Guards. — A body of picked soldiers who formed 
the guards of the Roman Emperors. They numbered about 



MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS. 169 

10,000 and were divided into nine or ten cohorts. Their pay 
was double that of the rest of the army. They generally took 
a part in all revolutions, and by reason of their numbers, prowess, 
and influence, became a power in the state. 

Prussian Giants.— A celebrated infantry corps established 
in Prussia by Frederick the Great. The monarch devoted much 
time and attention to the collection of this company, and sent 
agents throughout the country to secure the tallest men that 
could be found. ISTot content with this, he married them to 
women of corresponding stature with a view of perpetuating 
a gigantic race. 

Razzia. — An Arabic word much employed in connection with 
Algerine affairs, to signify an incursion made by military into 
an enemy's country, for the purpose of carrying off cattle and 
destroying the standing crops. It always conveys the idea of 
pillage. Its meaning is sometimes extended to other sorts of 
incursions. 

Sacred Battalion. — A band of infantry composed of 300 
young Thebans united in the closest friendship, who were engaged 
under a solemn oath, never to fly, but to defend each other 
to the last drop of their blood. At the battle of Leuctra, in 
which the Spartans were signally defeated, the Sacred Battalion 
mainly contributed to the success of the day. 

Sepoys. — The name given to the Hindoo troops in the service 
of the late East India Company. 

Train Bands. — A species of Volunteer Corps which first 
started into existence in 1585 in connection with the London 
Artillery Company, and at the time when the Spanish Armada 
threatened to invade England. On the breaking out of the civil 
wars the train-bands were again mustered, and at the Eestoration 
they were incorporated with the Artillery Company. The mem- 
bers of the corps consisted for the most part of merchants and 
tradesmen of the City of London, and other well-to-do citizens. 

Ulans, — A species of light cavalry of Tartar origin. From 
the Tartars it was introduced into Poland. The Austrian s 
adopted it next ; the Prussians in the Seven Years' War ; and at 
the present day almost all armies have some of this cavalry, 



170 THE HISTOKICAL FINGER-POST : 

whose chief weapon is a lance, to which is generally attached a 
small flag for the purpose of frightening the horses of the enemy. 
They are always light troops, and are particularly useful in 
attacking squares. 

Walloon Guard. — The body-guard of the Spanish monarch, 
they receive their name from the Walloons, a people in the Low 
Countries so called. The Duke of Alva, who was governor of 
the Netherlands for Philip the Second of Spain, in order to 
flatter those whom he ruled, selected a body-guard from among 
the Walloons for the Spanish monarch, and gave it the appellation 
of the Walloon Guard. 

Zouaves. — An infantry corps, originally created in Algeria in 
1831 to replace the Turkish troops in the service of the regency. 
This armed force received into its ranks the outcasts and 
restless spirits of Africa and France, but after a time the Africans 
disappeared from the corps, which thenceforward comprised 
Frenchmen only. The Zouaves rendered great service in the 
Crimean war, and are on all occasions conspicuous for their reck- 
less courage and deeds of daring. 



SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. 171 



section- zxrv. 
SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. 

Abracadabra.— A magical formula employed in superstitious 
ages as a charm against ague, fever, and other diseases. It was 
usually written on a piece of paper or vellum in the following 
manner : — 

ABRACADABRA 

ABRACADABR 

ABRACADAB 

ABRACADA 

ABRACAD 

ABRACA 

ABRAC 

ABRA 

ABR 

AB 

A 

This triangle of letters was then suspended about the neck by 
a linen thread, in the belief that the wearer would thus escape the 
ills incidental to human nature. 

Abraxas. — The supreme god of the religious sect of the Basi- 
lidians. It is a mystical or cabalistic word, composed of the 
Greek letters a j3 p a £ a, g, which, together, according to the 
Grecian mode of enumeration, make up the number 365. For 
Basilides taught that there were 365 heavens between the earth 
and the empyrean ; each of which heavens had its angel or 
intelligence who created it ; each of which angels likewise was 
created by the angel next above it ; thus ascending by a scale to 
the Supreme Being, or first Creator. Abraxas stones are very 



172 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

numerous, and represent a human body with the head of a cock 
and the feet of a reptile. They are supposed to have been used 
partly as a means, to inculcate doctrines, partly as symbols, and 
partly as amulets or talismans. 

Agnus Dei— " The Lamb of God." A cake of wax stamped 
with the figure of a lamb supporting the banner of the Cross. It 
is supposed by the Romish Church to have miraculous powers for 
preserving the faithful. A part of the Mass is also so called, 
from the circumstance of its beginning with these words. 

Al Borak. — The name of an imaginary animal on which, 
according to the Mohammedan tradition, the Arabian Prophet 
performed his journey from the temple at Jerusalem, through the 
heavens. It is conceived to have been an animal between the 
mule and the ass, and to have been of a shining white colour. 

Alectryomancy. — An ancient method of prophesying through 
the agency of a cock. The twenty-four letters of the Greek alpha- 
bet were laid on the floor, and a barleycorn on each ; the bird was 
then allowed to pick up the grains, and the letters under the 
grains thus selected, were 'supposed to foretell the event which 
might be expected. 

Amulets. — These have been used by all nations as a charm or 
preservative against mischief or disease. The Persians adopted 
from the Egyptians the custom of suspending from the neck small 
cylinders, adorned with figures and hieroglyphics. The Jews 
were extremely superstitious in the use of them, as also the 
Greeks. Among the early Christians, amulets were made of the 
wood of the Cross, or ribbons with a text of Scripture written on 
them. In the sixteenth century, amulets were worn around the 
neck, against pestilence, made of arsenic, and used in large 
quantities. 

Apotheosis. — In antiquity, a heathen ceremony, whereby 
emperors and distinguished persons were placed among the gods. 
After the apotheosis, temples, altars, and images were erected to 
the new deity ; sacrifices were offered, and colleges of priests 
were instituted. It was one of the doctrines of Pythagoras, that 
virtuous persons, after their death, were advanced into the order of 



SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. 173 

gods. Hence, the ancients deified all the inventors of things 
useful to mankind, as well as those who had rendered signal 
service to their country. 

Arcanum. — An epithet applied to a secret remedy, or a 
medicine of which the ingredients and preparation are kept 
hidden. Such medicines, on account of numerous abuses, have 
been made, in some countries, an object of medical police. 

Augury. — The ancient practice of consulting the gods', and 
learning their supposed will by divers kinds of omens. Augu- 
ries were sought from the appearance of the heavens ; from the 
feeding, singing, and flight of birds ; from the entrails of animals, 
-and from various accidental circumstances ; among these latter 
may be mentioned some superstitions which are regarded by the 
vulgar at the present day, as, the stumbling up stairs; the 
spilling of salt ; the meeting of cross-eyed persons, &c. 

Avatar. — A Sanscrit word, which properly signifies a descent, 
or the act of descending. It is particularly applied to the incar- 
nation of the Hindoo deities, or their appearance in some manifest 
shape upon earth, as a fish, a tortoise, a boar, &c. 

Bacon's Brazen Head. — A popular legend in connection with 
Eoger Bacon, a monk of the thirteenth century. The tradition 
says that Bacon conceived the idea that if he could only make a 
head of brass which should speak, and which he should hear 
speak, he might be able to surround all England with a wall of 
brass. It was further pretended that ahead was made, which was 
warranted to speak within a month, but without any definite time 
being fixed. Bacon's man was accordingly set to watch, with 
orders to arouse his master if the head should speak. This man, 
at the expiration of half an hour, heard the head say " Time is ; " 
at the end of another half-hour, " Time was ;■" and, at the end of 
a, third half-hour, " Time's past ;" when the head fell down with a 
tremendous crash ; but the foolish servant neglected to wake his 
master, thinking he would be angry to be disturbed for such trifles, 
and Bacon thus missed the opportunity of executing his design. 

Banshee. — An Irish fairy, formerly believed to appear in the 
shape of a diminutive old woman, and to chant in a mournful ditty, 
under the windows of the house, the approaching death of some 



174 THE HISTOEICAL FINGEE-POST : 

one in the families of the great. In Scotland, the Benshi was 
called the fairy's wife, and was alike zealous in giving intimation 
of coming dissolution. 

Behemoth. — An animal mentioned in the Book of Job, gene- 
rally supposed to be the hippopotamus. 

Brownie. — A species of fairy, which, in some parts of Scot- 
land, is believed to make itself particularly busy in household 
and rural affairs. 

Cabbala. — A mysterious kind of science among Jewish Kabbins, 
pretended to have been delivered to the ancient Jews by revela- 
tion, and afterwards transmitted by oral tradition, and employed 
for the interpretation of difficult passages of Scripture. The 
science consists in understanding the combination of difficult 
letters, words, and numbers, which are asserted to be significant. 
Each of these is supposed to contain a mystery ; and the 
Cabbalists pretend to foretell future events by the study of 
this science. 

Cabiri. — The name given by the Phoenicians to their deified 
heroes, or sacred priests, venerated as the founders of their 
religion. 

Cock-Lane Ghost. — A deception practised by a young girl, in 
1762, in Cock Lane, near Smitlifield, London. From the artful 
manner in which this affair was conducted, many believed in its 
truth, and a great deal of public excitement was created. So 
deep a sensation did it occasion, that it was at length considered 
expedient to hold a sort of commission of inquiry into the matter 
composed of clergymen, and men of repute and eminence, of 
whom the celebrated Dr. Johnson was one ; by this means, the 
imposition was in a very short time detected. 

Dragon. — The name given to a species of fabulous monster 
having the body and head of a serpent, and furnished with wings 
and feet. The head also bristled with a long, rough, and thick 
mane, and from the jaws issued a flame of fire. These monsters 
are associated with the earliest history of Christianity, and much 
celebrated in the romances of the middle ages. Many countries 
have a peculiar legend of some famous dragon, represented as 
committing great devastation— the dragon killed by St. George, 
for instance, the history of which is well known. 



SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. 175 

Dodo. — The name given to an extinct bird, said to have 
existed in the Mauritius previous to the seventeenth century. A 
head and leg are preserved in the British Museum ; also a 
drawing, apparently somewhat fabulous, made by an artist named 
Edwards, who says, " The original picture was executed in Holland 
from the living bird, brought from St. Maurice's Island, in the 
East Indies, in the early time of the discovery, by way of the 
Cape of Good Hope." Much difference of opinion has existed 
among naturalists as to the real character of the Dodo ; the 
most general belief being that the bird represented, was made 
up by joining the head of a bird of prey, of the vulture family, to 
the legs of a gallinaceous bird. 

Eddas. — The Northern mythology is so called, and is contained 
in two collections of traditions, fables, &c, of the wildest imagina- 
tion, but of the sublimest conception. These have been handed 
down from time immemorial by the Scalds, or ancient minstrels of 
Demark, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland. The word Edda 
signifies mother of poetry. In the beginning, these mythological 
records were communicated from mouth to mouth, and afterwards 
written in Runic characters. 

El Dorado. — Literally, the golden country. The name given 
by the Spaniards of the sixteenth century, to an imaginary region 
somewhere in the interior of South America, where gold and 
precious stones were supposed to be had for the merely picking 
them up. Sir Walter Raleigh published an account of this 
mythical country, and from these representations, an expedition 
was fitted out under his command ; it arrived at the Orinoco ; the 
delusion was discovered ; and the adventurers believed that they 
were betrayed ; Raleigh was hurried home to answer for his 
conduct, and expiated his folly and rashness by an untimely 
death on the scaffold. 

* Elixir of Life. — A nostrum professed to have been discovered 
by Paracelsus, a famous alchemist who flourished about 1520. 
He promised longevity to all who' should make use of this elixir, 
but these pretensions proved injurious to his interests, while he 
himself, despite his elixir, died at the comparatively early age of 
forty-eight. 

Evil Eye. — A superstition existed among the ancients that 



176 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

certain persons possessed the power of injuring those on whom 
they cast a look of hostility or envy. This power was supposed: 
to reside in the noxious rays which the eyes of such persons 
darted on every object on which they were fixed. The same 
superstition prevails, to the present day in several parts of the 
world, even in Ireland, and the northern parts of England. In 
Italy it is believed in under the name of Malocchio. 

Exorcism. — An opinion prevailed in the ancient church that 
a class of persons, those particularly who were afflicted with 
certain diseases, especially madness and epilepsy, were possessed 
by evil spirits. Over such persons, forms of conjuration were 
pronounced, and this act was called exorcism. There were even 
certain men who adopted this as a regular profession, and were 
called exorcists. 

Fata Morgana. — A singular atmospheric refraction, frequently 
observed in the Straits of Messina, between the coasts of Calabria 
and Sicily, and occasionally but rarely on other coasts. It is called 
the " Castle of the Fairy Morgana," and consists of an optical 
illusion, in which the images of houses, castles, and other 
objects in the adjoining landscapes are fantastically and magnifi- 
cently represented, sometimes in the water, and sometimes in the 
air ; not unfrequently two images of the objects are visible, the 
one in a natural position, the other inverted. 

Faust, Doctor, — A celebrated dealer in the black art, who lived 
in the beginning of the sixteenth century. Dr. Faust has become 
in Germany one of those standing national characters which 
represent a whole class of persons, and to whom every new in- 
vention and strange adventure is persistently attributed. Accord- 
ing to tradition, Faust entered into a contract with the Devil for 
twenty-four years. A spirit called Mephistopheles was given him a& 
servant, with whom he travelled about, enjoyed life in all its 
forms, and surprised people by working wonders. The probable* 
explanation of the fable is, that Faust was a chemist in advance- 
of his age. 

Fetich. — A word said to be of Portuguese origin, and intended to 
signify an object of worship not representing a living nor perhaps a 
human figure. Among the negroes on the western coast of Africa r 



SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. 177 

tribes, families, and individuals have their particular fetiches, 
generally chosen or selected under the influence of some particular 
superstitious notion. They consist of stones, weapons, vessels, 
plants, &c. 

Flying Dutchman. — The name given by the superstitious to a 
phantom-ship manned by a spectral crew. Most mariners believe 
it to haunt the seas, and its supposed appearance is regarded as 
an omen of tempestuous weather, calamity, and shipwreck. 

Genii. — Among the Arabs, these are supposed to represent a 
race of beings created from fire, capable of assuming any form 
and becoming invisible at pleasure. They are divided into good 
and evil genii, and as such are believed to take an active interest 
in human affairs, and to be the authors of much happiness and 
misery to mankind. 

Glamour. — An old term of popular superstition in Scotland, 
denoting a kind of magical mist formerly believed to be raised by 
sorcerers, and which deluded the spectators with visions of things 
having no real existence. 

Glastonbury Thorn. — The name of a famous hawthorn tree 
which formerly grew at Glastonbury, in Somersetshire. The 
remarkable feature of this tree was said to be its putting forth 
leaves and blossoms upon every anniversary of Christmas Day ; 
and so notorious did the representation become, that it was cus- 
tomary for thousands of persons to assemble, during the night 
previous to Christmas, round about the thorn to watch its coming 
into bloom. The tree was ultimately destroyed during the period 
of the civil wars by some Parliamentarian soldiers, but slips of the 
same tree grown in- the neighbourhood are said to fulfil the same 
condition as the parent plant. The probable explanation of this, 
remarkable circumstance is, that the monks of Glastonbury may 
have procured this tree from Palestine, where numbers of the 
same sort grew ; that in its adopted soil it still preserved its 
idiosyncrasy of blooming in the winter, about the time of 
Christmas, and more or less upon Christmas Day itself. 

Gnomes. — A name anciently given to certain invisible beings 
which were believed to inhabit the inner part of the earth. They 
were represented as small in stature, but tractable and friendly 



178 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

to man ; and they were looked upon as the guardians of mines, 
quarries, and hidden treasures. 

Goddess of Reason. — A deity which was set up for public 
worship in France during the time of the first Revolution. She 
was personified by a young woman of abandoned character, and 
was enshrined with profane rites on the altar of Notre Dame. 

Griffin. — A fabulous monster of antiquity, commonly represented 
with the body, feet, and claws of a lion, the head and wings of 
an eagle, the ears of a horse, and instead of a mane, a comb of 
fishes' fins : the back was covered with feathers. The ancients 
believed that this bird came from Asia into Greece in the train 
of Bacchus. He was therefore the symbol of learning and 
wisdom. 

Hoillis. — The name of the virgins in Mohammed's paradise ; 
they are described as of dazzling beauty, and with languishing 
glances directed towards individual admirers. They are said to 
dwell in blooming gardens, beautiful beyond description, where 
they are to be found reclining amidst bowers in .perpetual youth 
and loveliness. 

Juggernaut. — Literally Lord of the World. The most cele- 
brated and sacred temple in Hindostan, containing an idol carved 
from a block of wood, with hideous and distorted features, and a 
blood-red mouth. The image is gorgeously dressed, and on 
festival days the throne of the image is placed upon a high tower, 
which moves on wheels, and is drawn along by the people. 
The priests and their attendants stand around the throne on the 
tower, and occasionally turn towards the worshippers with ribald 
songs and uncouth gestures. While the tower moves along, 
numbers of the devout worshippers throw themselves upon the 
ground in order to be crushed by the wheels, the act being 
applauded by the multitude as one of sacrifice to the idol. 

Kami. — The name given in Japan to certain spirits, the belief 
in which is the foundation of the Javanese religion. 

Kobold. — A German word, probably the origin of our goblin, 
with which it is nearly synonymous. Almost every peasant's 
house has, in German superstition, its attendant hobold, presiding 
over all the domestic operations, many of which they are supposed 
to perform. 



SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. 179 

Lamia. — In antiquity, an imaginary being represented as a 
monstrous animal, a spectre or vampire. It was usually de- 
picted with the face and head of a woman, and the tail of a 
serpent. 

LaOGOOll. — A subject forming one of the most exquisite groups 
of sculpture in ancient art. It is derived from fabulous history, 
representing the priest of Apollo or Neptune during the Trojan 
war, who, while engaged in sacrificing a bull to Neptune, was, 
with his two sons, crushed to death by an enormous serpent sent 
by Minerva to revenge his having endeavoured to dissuade the 
Trojans from admitting the famous wooden horse within their 
walls. 

Lares. — The domestic deities of the Eomans, and sup- 
posed to be the souls of deceased ancestors. The Lares familiares 
presided over the house and family. The Lares jparvi were so 
called because they were small in size and worshipped without 
any pomp. The Lares prmstites kept everything in order. 

Lemnres. — The name given to male and female genii, or infernal 
deities, believed by the ancient Romans to haunt solitary rooms 
and silent places. They were propitiated by having some beans 
cast to them. 

Leviathan. — A Hebrew word signifying a great fish. Some 
have supposed, from the description given in the Book of Job, 
that it is the whale ; while others assert that it is the crocodile. 

Mammoth. — The primitive elephant, a very large species of 
that animal, the bones of which are found fossil : an entire 
carcass preserved in ice was discovered in the north of Russia 
towards the end of the eighteenth century. 

Marahoots. — In certain parts of Northern Africa, a class of 
saints or sorcerers, who are held in high estimation, and who 
exercise, in some villages, a despotic authority. They distribute 
amulets, affect to work miracles, and pretend to exercise the gift 
of prophecy. The rich presents which they receive from a 
superstitious people, enable them to live with a good deal of 
pomp, and to maintain an armed force, and a numerous train of 
followers. 

Mastodon. — An extinct animal, allied to the elephant, and 
exceeding it in size. Its remains are chiefly found in a fossil state. 



180 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Megatherium. — A quadruped of enormous size, now extinct. 
It is considered to be allied to the sloth family, and to be peculiar 
to America. 

Mermaids. — Fabulous inhabitants of the sea, represented as 
half-fish and half-woman ; they were supposed to lure mariners by 
their charms and fascinations, and then to destroy them. 

Millennium— A term intended to signify the imaginary 
thousand years during which Christ will reign on earth with the 
faithful, when the power of Satan will be extinguished and 
unanimity and happiness will prevail. 

Mithras.— One of the names under which the sun was anciently 
worshipped among the Romans. Mithras is also said by some 
writers to have been one of the most powerful of good spirits 
created by Ormuz. The mysteries of Mithras were celebrated 
with much pomp and splendour, on the revival of the Persian 
religion under the Sassanidse. 

Morana. — The old Bohemian goddess of winter and death ; the 
Maryana of Scandinavia. A grand yearly festival used to be held in 
her honour in the month of March, when her image was conveyed 
.solemnly to the nearest brook or river, and thrown into it amidst 
the rejoicings of the people, the act being symbolical of the 
departure of winter and the return of spring. 

MiHidus Patens, — A festival among the Eomans, observed on 
the 24th of August, 4th of October, and 27th of November. 
Hell was supposed to be open on those days ; and accordingly, 
men would not enlist, engage in battle, put to sea, or marry. 

Music of the Spheres. — An hypothesis of Pythagoras and his 
school, according to which the motions of the heavenly bodies 
produced a music imperceptible to the ears of mortals. 

Eepenthe. — The name given by the ancients to a magic 
potion, supposed to have the power of mitigating all pain, and 
obliterating sorrow from the memory. 

Oracle. — Among the ancients, an imaginary divinity, who was 
invisible, and who upon being consulted gave replies more or less 
-appropriate, and almost always ambiguous. It was in point of 
fact a deception by which the priests imposed upon the supersti- 
tions and credulity of the people 



SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. 181 

PatagoniailS. — A gigantic race .said to have existed in the 
neighbourhood of the Straits of Magellan, but of whom the 
accounts are vague and unsatisfactory. The men are represented 
as measuring between eight and nine feet high, and the women 
and the children in proportion. They are mentioned by Sir Francis 
Drake in one of his voyages, and were subsequently spoken of as 
having been seen by Commodore Byron. 

Peri. — In Persian mythology, the descendants of fallen spirits, 
excluded from Paradise until their allotted penance is accom- 
plished. 

PliCBllix. — A fabulous bird regarded by the ancients as the 
emblem of immortality. It was described as of the size of an 
eagle, the head crested, the body covered with a beautiful 
plumage, and the eyes sparkling like stars. It was said to live 
in the wilderness for 500 or 600 years, at the termination of 
which, it built itself a funeral pile of wood and aromatic gums, 
which it kindled with the fanning of its wings, and thus 
apparently consumed itself, but not really, inasmuch as by this 
process it was supposed to endow itself with new vitality. 

Philosopher's Stone. — An imaginary object much sought after 
by the ancient alchemists, who believed that it possessed the 
power of transmuting into gold everything it touched. 

Philter. — A drug or preparation, supposed by the ancients to 
have the power of exciting love. 

Phylactery. — The name anciently given to all kinds of spells, 
charms, or amulets that were supposed by their possessors to act 
as a preventive against the approach of danger or disease. 
Among the Jews, it took the form of a slip of parchment on 
which some text of Scripture was inscribed, and was worn by 
devout persons on the forehead, breast, or neck, as a mark of 
their religion. 

Pigmies. — The name of a fabulous people represented as 
inhabiting Central India. They are described as dwarfed in 
stature, and as wearing immensely long hair and beards. They 
are said to excel as hunters and archers. 

Procrustes, Bed of. — According to fabulous history, Procrustes 
was a notorious robber of Attica, who had two bedsteads, one 



182 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

short and the other long. The monster placed his short guests 
in the long bed, and then under pretence of fitting the bed to the 
occupant, stretched the latter till he died. If his victim was tall, 
Procrustes placed him in the short bed, and reduced him to 
fitting dimensions by cutting and clipping. 

Puranas.— Compositions generally recognised by the Hindoos, 
and with them exercising an extensive and practical influence 
upon society. , They are of a legendary nature, interspersed with 
fantastic theories of the origin of all things, the creation, destruc- 
tion, and renovation of worlds ; religious doctrines, rites, &c. 

Purgatory. — According to the dogma of the Soman Catholic 
Church, a place of purification, in which, after death, those souls 
are cleansed which are not sufficiently pure to enjoy the happiness 
of heaven. 

Bonralus and Remus, Fable of.— The tradition in connection 
with the founding of Rome is, that the twin sons of Rhea 
were, by the order of Amulius, son of Procas, king of Alba, 
thrown into the Tiber. As the flooding of the river subsided, 
they were left uninjured at the foot of the Palatine Hill. 
Here they were suckled by a she-wolf, until they were dis- 
covered by the wife of Faustulus, a shepherd of the king. 
They were brought up at the shepherd's cottage, and named 
Romulus and Remus. After a while the parentage of the children 
was discovered. By this time they had grown up and were 
enabled to raise a party in their favour. They deposed Amulius, 
and placed their grandfather, Numitor, on the throne. For 
themselves they built a city on the Palatine Hill : but a quarrel 
arose between them, Remus was slain, and the city was named 
Rome from the surviving brother. 

Eliaic Wands. — Willow wands inscribed with mysterious 
characters, and used by the heathen tribes of the north of Europe 
in the performance of magic ceremonies. Such wands were also 
employed by the ancient inhabitants of Sweden and Norway to 
note the succession of time. 

Sacred House of Mecca.— According to the Arab legend, 
God commanded a temple to be built to commemorate the 
miraculous preservation of Ishmael. Its shape and substance 



SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. 183 

were an exact type of Adam's Oratory, which was believed to 
have been constructed in heaven, and preserved from the Deluge to 
serve as a model for this occasion. The black stone encased in the 
wall, and still pressed with devotion by the lips of every pilgrim, 
was that on which Abraham stood when he prayed at the 
consecration of the temple ! This famous stone was said to have 
descended from heaven, and served as a scaffold at the erection 
of the temple, rising and falling of its own accord, as it suited 
the convenience of Abraham, who officiated as master-mason. 
The temple thus became an object of attraction. The Arabs 
conceived it a duty to adore Providence on the spot which bore 
such visible tokens of the Divine goodness. From the celebrity 
of the place, a vast concourse of pilgrims flocked to it from all 
quarters. Such was the commencement of the city and super- 
stitious fame of Mecca. 

Sainte- Ampoule. — A phial or flask of oil which was pretended 
to have been brought from heaven by a dove, for the crowning 
of Clovis, king of France. 

Second Sight. — A superstition fostered in the Highlands of 
Scotland, and some other places, which supposes certain persons 
endowed with the power of descrying future or distant events as if 
actually present. 

Sideromancy. — A species of divination performed by burning 
straws, &c, on red-hot iron, on which operation conjectures were 
formed from the manner of their burning. 

Suttee. — A custom formerly existing in Hindostan, the Hindoo 
widows burning themselves alive with the bodies of their deceased 
husbands. This species of barbarity arose originally from the 
too literal interpretation of a text in the Vedas, that " The woman 
who dies with her husband shall enjoy life eternal with him in 
heaven." This custom has given way to the progress of civiliza- 
tion, and is now all but extinct. 

Tophet. — An epithet for hell, from a place so named, east of 
Jerusalem, where the Jews were accustomed to throw the car- 
casses of beasts, the dead bodies of human beings to whom burial 
was refused, and all kinds of filth ; and where a fire was per- 



184 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: 

petually kindled to consume all that was deposited, in order to 
prevent any offensive smell. 

Touching for the Evil. — A custom which formerly existed 
in England, and observed by persons afflicted with scrofula, 
vulgarly called king's evil. From the time of Edward the 
Confessor to the reign of Queen Anne, a superstition prevailed 
that the royal touch was efficacious in the cure of this disease ; 
and in accordance with such belief, numbers of persons were 
admitted into the royal presence upon certain days, to be 
touched by the sovereign's hand. 

Translation of Saints. — The origin of the translation of saints 
is said to have been as follows : — In the year 359, the emperor 
Constantinus, out of a presumed respect, caused the remains of 
St. Andrew and St. Luke to be removed from their ancient place 
of interment to the temple of the Twelve Apostles, at Constanti- 
nople ; and from this example, the practice of searching for the 
bodies of saints and martyrs increased so rapidly, that in a few 
years the whole of the devotees were engaged in that pursuit. 
Eelics then became of considerable value ; and as they were all 
alleged to possess peculiar virtues, no expense or labour was 
spared to provide such treasures for every public religious foun- 
dation. 

Transmigration of Souls. — The Egyptians held the belief that 
when the soul quitted the body after death, it transmigrated into 
the bodies of all kinds of animals ; and that after the space of 
three thousand years the soul again returned to the body it had 
left, provided that body were found to be in a state of preserva- 
tion. Hence, the custom of embalming, so prevalent among the 
Egyptians. They further believed, that the gods took refuge in the 
bodies of animals to escape the wickedness and violence of men ; 
they therefore regarded such animals as sacred, and paid them 
divine honours. 

Unknown Tongues. — A fantastic theory put forth by the Rev. 
Edward Irving, in 1826, in connection with the " Unknown 
Tongues " referred to in the Scriptures ; he professed to have dis- 
covered the interpretation and intent of these, succeeded in 
attracting a number of followers, and for a time created a sensation. 



SUPERSTITIONS, FABLES, TRADITIONS. 185 

Utopia. — The title of a work written by Sir Thomas More, 
describing an imaginary republic. The word has been adopted 
in the same sense to signify whatever is unreal or visionary. 

Vampire. — A demon, which was supposed to prowl about some 
parts of Germany and Hungary, sucking human blood, and after- 
wards possessing itself of the bodies. 

Virgilian Chances. — A species of divination practised by the 
ancients, by opening the works of Virgil, and remarking the lines 
beneath the fingers the instant the leaves were parted ; thus 
drawing conclusions from the applicability of the words to a 
person's present circumstances, or future fortune. 

Vishnu. — The second person in the Triad or Trinity of the 
Hindoos, and the personification of the preserving principle. He 
is fabled to have made nine descents on earth in various shapes, 
the tenth being yet to come, when he will establish a perfect 
system of righteousness on earth. 

Walhalla. — In Northern mythology, the palace of immortality, 
inhabited by the heroes of Scandinavia. 

Walpurges Night. — The night of the 1st of May, a festival of 
St. Philip and St. John. Saint Walpurga was an English lady, 
sister of Boniface, the apostle of the Germans. Her festival falls 
upon the same day with that of the above-mentioned saints ; and 
is an anniversary in Germany resembling Lady-day in England. 
According to the popular tradition, it is the witch-festival held on 
the summit of the Brocken, in the Hartz mountains ; a superstition 
supposed to have originated in the rites performed by the pagan 
remnants of the Saxons in honour of their gods, when their nation 
was converted to Christianity, which worship, being secretly 
celebrated in remote places, was suspected by the vulgar to take 
the form of supernatural orgies. 

Wandering Jew. — An imaginary person of tradition, who, for 
some insult that he offered our Saviour just previous to his Cru- 
cifixion, was condemned to wander upon the face of the earth 
until Christ's second coming. It is pretended that a person 
answering this description has been seen from time to time, 
bearing only the marks of ordinary old age, and still living out 
his sentence. 



186 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Waters of Jealousy. — Among the Jews, a test given to a 
woman suspected of infidelity to her husband, in order to demon- 
strate her innocence, or confirm her guilt. 

White Lady. — An apparition, which, in Germany and some 
other countries, is believed to appear to persons who are about to 
die. This imaginary personage is said to be clothed wholly in 
white, with the hair dishevelled, &c. 



ROMANCE, LEGEND, ETC. 187 



SECTIOIT :xv. 

ROMANCE, LEGEND, IMAGINARY AND MYSTERIOUS 
PERSONAGES. 

Abelard and Heloise. — The hero and heroine of a romantic 
tale of love in the early part of the twelfth century. Abelard 
was the most remarkable man of his age as a philosopher, logician, 
and divine ; no branch of study or mental acquirement appeared 
beyond the reach of his exertion and capacity. So celebrated 
did he become as a public teacher, that persons of all ranks nocked 
to him to receive his instruction or listen to his eloquence. 
Among these was Heloise, a beautiful girl of eighteen, who con- 
ceived an ardent passion for Abelard, and in a short time they 
were all in all to each other. When Fulbert, the uncle of Heloise, 
became aware of the disgraceful connection that had been formed, 
he avenged the dishonour of his family by having Abelard waylaid 
and mutilated in a most horrible manner. The unhappy wretch 
immediately withdrew from the world, and retired to a convent ; 
while Heloise became a nun. He died in 1142 ; she survived 
him twenty years ; but she buried him in a magnificent sepulchre, 
and at her death left instructions for her body to be laid beside 
that of her lover, which injunction was complied with. 

Amadis de Gaul. — The hero of an old romance of chivalry, 
written in Spanish prose, by Vasco Lobeira, towards the end of 
the twelfth century ; it was afterwards corrected and translated, 
and became a universally popular book in Italy and France. The 
story alludes to fabulous feats between the Welsh and the English, 
previous to those of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table ; 
the Romans and Saxons are united against the Prince of Gaula 
or Wales, and the Saxons are represented as treacherous and 



188 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

faithless. This work is considered as one of the most interesting 
in the whole library of chivalry and romance. 

Arthur's Hcimd Table. — According to the popular tradition 7 
there reigned in Britain, towards the end of the fifth century, a 
Christian king, the British Uther-Pendragon, who had for coun- 
sellor a powerful and benevolent enchanter, named Merlin. Merlin 
advised the king to assemble all his knights, who Avere distin- 
guished for piety, courage, and fidelity, at feasts about a round 
table, which was calculated to receive fifty knights, and was to be 
occupied for the present by forty-nine only, one place remaining 
empty for a guest yet unborn. This was Arthur, son of the king, 
who was instructed by Merlin in all the accomplishments of 
knighthood, and at a later period occupied the vacant seat at 
the round table, which, under his presidency, became the resort 
of all valiant, pious, and noble knights. 

Barmecide's Feast. — This circumstance, so frequently alluded 
to, forms one of the narratives of the Arabian Nights' Entertain- 
ment. It is related that one Schacabac, being reduced to great 
poverty and hunger, paid a visit to a noble Barmecide in Persia, 
who was very hospitable, but withal a great humorist. The 
Barmecide was seated at a table ready-covered for an entertain- 
ment, and upon hearing Schacabac's complaint, he desired him to 
sit down and begin. The humour of the story now consists in 
the host setting before his famished guest a variety of imaginary 
dishes ; and Schacabac being a man of ready wit and complaisance, 
fell in with the fantastic notion, and pretended to eat the phantom- 
viands with considerable zest. When the cloth was removed, 
imaginary wines were placed on the table, and a pretence was 
made to fill the glasses from an empty decanter. After feigning 
to drain two or three bumpers, Schacabac becoming somewhat vexed 
at the persistency of the jest, gave the Barmecide a smart box on 
the ear, but immediately recovering himself, he apologised for 
what he had done, alleging as an excuse that wine always made 
him quarrelsome. The Barmecide appreciated the wit manifested 
in the retaliation, and instead of being angry, feasted Schacabac 
in reality. 



ROMANCE, LEGEND, ETC. ISO 1 

Blue Beard. — The reputed original of this repulsive hero of 
romance was Giles cle Laval, Lord of Raiz, who was made Marshal of 
France in 1429. He rendered his country distinguished service, 
but made his name infamous by murders, impieties, and de- 
baucheries. He is accused of having encouraged and maintained 
sorcerers to corrupt young persons of both sexes, that he might 
attach them to himself, and afterwards kill them for the sake of 
their blood. At length, for his crimes, he was sentenced to be 
burnt alive in a field at Nantes, in 1440. 

Cid. — A Castilian hero, whose exploits are so largely mingled 
with fable and romance as to render it difficult to determine how 
much of his life is true. His real name was Don Roderigo Dias 
de Bivar, and he was reared in the court of the kings of Castile. 
On account of his early martial prowess, he received the honour of 
knighthood while yet a youth. Nearly the whole of his life was 
passed in expeditions against the kings of Arragon, in which he 
performed prodigies of valour. He died in 1099. 

Doe, John, and Roe, Richard. — Formerly, two well-known 
names representing a species of legal fiction. They originated in 
the custom of finding two sureties on arresting a person, who were 
bound over in heavy penalties that the Pursuer should prove the 
justice and the legality of his claim ; otherwise, that the Pursued 
should receive indemnity from the parties thus bound over. This 
custom, however, in process of time, degenerated into the mere 
nominal recognizances or sureties of " John Doe and Richard 
Roe." In 1852, these two celebrated characters ceased to have 
any legal existence ; and it was enacted, that henceforward the 
persons really concerned should be mentioned by name, and 
described with reasonable certainty. 

Fish and the Ring. — A tradition having reference to a monu- 
ment in Stepney Church, and which runs as follows :— In the 
olden time, a knight entered a cottage, where he saw an infant, of 
whom he had an immediate presentiment that she was destined 
to be his wife. Dreading to form so unworthy an alliance, he 
several times attempts the life of the child, but is frustrated. At 
length he conducts the maiden to the sea-shore with the intention, 
of drowning her, but relents. He then throws a ring into the 



190 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

sea, and commands her never to see him again unless she can 
produce the ring. Thus banished from the presence of the knight, 
she enters a gentleman's family as cook, and one day while 
dressing a cod-fish for dinner, she discovers the identical ring. 
Furnished with this gage cT amour, she seeks out' the knight, 
presents it to his astonished eyes, and he, being persuaded of the 
futility of opposing any further the decrees of fate, marries her. 

Gog and Magog. — The names of two warriors noticed in 
different parts of the sacred writing, and which, since the Christian 
era, have been regarded as nearly synonymous with Antichrist. 
These names are given to two warlike figures in the Guildhall of 
London, but why they are so called has not been explained. 

Guy, Earl of Warwick. — A famous personage, of whose 
actual existence there are strong doubts. He is represented as 
living in the earlier part of the fourteenth century, and his 
chroniclers attribute to him numerous combats with giants, and 
other warlike achievements. 

Hauser, Caspar. — A mysterious youth, who was found, in 1828, 
wandering the streets of Nuremberg, by a citizen of that 
place. He held in his hand a letter addressed to a cavalry 
officer in garrison at Nuremberg, in which it was stated that 
he was born in 1812, and that his father belonged to a 
regiment of Bavarian cavalry. Hauser was unable to give 
any information respecting his person or his history. He 
seemed to have passed his days in seclusion, and was scarcely 
able to speak. Eeceived by public charity, he was confided to 
the care of a professor at Nuremberg, who undertook his educa- 
tion. Afterwards he was under the protection of Lord Stanhope, 
who placed him in the offices of the tribunal at Anspach. 
Several times his life was assailed. One of these attacks proved 
successful in 1833, and the murderer remained unknown. 

Iron Mask, the Man with the.— An historical personage, 
respecting whom the greatest amount of mystery, doubt, and 
uncertainty prevail. All that can be certainly said of him is 
that he was confined for many years in different prisons of France, 
and died in the Bastile in 1703. During the whole period of his 
imprisonment his face was hidden by a mask of black velvet, 



ROMANCE, LEGEND, ETC. 191 

strengthened with whalebone, fastened behind the head with a 
padlock, and further secured by a seal ; thus permitting him to eat 
drink, and breathe, but at the same time effectually concealing 
the features. His manners, his carriage, even his voice went to 
prove that he was a person of superior birth and breeding ; but 
beyond this all is conjecture. It has been variously stated that he 
was a twin brother of Louis the Fourteenth ; the Duke of Mon- 
mouth, who was supposed to have been beheaded in London, but 
who had been withdrawn from punishment ; the offspring of a 
criminal intercourse between Ann of Austria and the Duke of 
Buckingham ; and a patriarch of the Armenians, named Awediks, 
removed from Constantinople at the instigation of the Jesuits. 
When Laborde, a confidant of Louis the Fifteenth, endeavoured 
to gain from his master some intelligence of this mysterious per- 
sonage, the king replied, " I pity him, but his detention injures 
only himself, and has prevented great misfortunes ; you cannot 
know him." The monarch himself had not learned the history of 
the iron mask till his majority, and he never intrusted the secret 
to any one. 

Joan, Pope.— A female Pope, respecting whose identity there 
is considerable doubt among historians. She was called John 
the Eighth, was said to have been of English extraction, and 
having disguised herself as a man, set out on her journey to Eome. 
Arrived in that city, she, by reason of her great learning, was 
chosen Pope in room of Leo the Fourth. The prevailing belief 
is, that Pope' Joan was a merely fictitious character invented for 
the purposes of controversy. 

Lancelot of the Lake. — The name of one of the Paladins 
celebrated in the traditions and fables relating to King Arthur and 
the Pound Table. He distinguished himself by his extraordinary 
deeds and great heroism, and was placed in many marvellous and 
dangerous situations from- which, however, he always extricated 
himself by his valour, and invariably with the assistance of the 
Lady of the Lake . 

Lokman. — A name that figures in the proverbs and traditions 
of the Arabians. The period at which Lokman lived is doubtful. 
According to tradition, he was sent with a caravan from Ethiopia 



192 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

to Mecca to pray for rain in a time of great drought. But God's 
anger destroyed the whole family from which he was descended, 
except himself, the only righteous one ; whereupon the Creator 
of the world decreed that Lokman should live for a period 
equal to the lives of seven successive vultures, and thus he 
remained upon earth for an incalculable length of time. 

Mazeppa. — The story of this unfortunate person has been 
made generally familiar through the medium of poetry and the 
drama ; the facts, as related by a contemporary historian, are as 
follows : — Mazeppa was the son of a Polish gentlemen in Podolia, 
and served for some time as a page at the court of King John 
Casimir, who reigned from 1648 to 1688. Early in life he was 
engaged in carrying on an intrigue with the wife of one of his 
neighbours ; one day he was intercepted by the offended husband, 
and as a punishment was bound to the horse upon which he rode. 
The animal being turned loose, carried its master back to his own 
house, whose shame at being thus exposed and humiliated, in- 
duced him to leave his native country and retire among the 
Cossacks. In this new situation he soon distinguished himself 
by his strength, courage, and general abilities, and by way of 
acknowledgment was appointed to various posts of honour and 
distinction, until he attained the office of Hetman, or commander- 
in-chief. He died in the year 1687. 

Munchausen, Baroil. — The original of this well-known narrator 
of wonders was a German officer who served several campaigns 
against the Turks in the Eussian service. He told the most 
extravagant stories of his adventures, till at length his fancy so 
completely got. the better of his memory, that he really believed 
his most improbable and impossible fictions. He was in the 
habit of relating these waking dreams to the poet Burger, who 
afterwards published them with his own embellishments. 

Orlando or Boland. — A celebrated hero of the romances of 
chivalry, and one of the Paladins of Charlemagne, of whom he 
is represented as the nephew. His character is that of a brave, 
unsuspicious, and loyal warrior, but somewhat simple in his dis- 
position. 

Peeping Tom of Coventry. — A popular legend connected with 



ROMANCE, LEGEND, ETC. 193 

Coventry to the following effect : — Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and 
lord of this place, had laid heavy taxes on the citizens, and would 
not remit them. To the repeated entreaties of his wife, Lady 
Godiva, he made answer that he would grant her prayer on one 
condition, namely, that she should ride through the city in a state 
of nudity ; this the earl did to rid himself of the importunities 
of his wife, thinking that she would surely not perforin such a 
task. She, however, determined to do so ; proclamation was 
made to that effect, and all citizens were ordered to withdraw 
into their houses, and close their doors and windows as Godiva 
passed by. The tradition is that all cheerfully obeyed this 
command save a tailor, who could not overcome his curiosity, 
and looking out, was struck blind. This event is commemorated 
by an effigy of the peeper inserted in a niche of a house in High 
Street, Coventry. 

Petrarch and Laura. — With these two names is associated 
one of those tales of love which sound more like romance than 
a sober reality of life. Francesco Petrarch, one of the greatest 
of the Italian poets, was born in 1304. In 1327 he first saw at 
the church of St. Clara, Laura, daughter of Audebert de Noves, 
syndic of Avignon, and the wife of Hugh, son of Paul de Sade. 
The poet was immediately inspired with a passion as hopeless as 
it was inextinguishable ; from that moment Laura absorbed his 
whole thoughts for a long course of years, kept his mind in 
agitation, and influenced the tenor of his life. To combat this 
passion Petrarch had recourse to travel, and afterwards settled 
down in a retreat at Vaucluse, in Provence ; here he poured 
out his soul in song to the object of his adoration, and 
some of the most beautiful and pathetic love-verses ever penned 
have been thus handed down to posterity. In 1348 Laura fell a 
victim to a plague which ravaged all Europe ; and although 
twenty-one years had elapsed since Petrarch first beheld the 
object of his affection, the circumstance of her death acted as a 
terrible blow to him. In 1374 Petrarch died, and to the latest 
moment of his life he retained the tenderest recollection of her 
who had exercised so extraordinary a spell over him. 

Robin Hood. — The name of the captain of a band of robbers 

H 



194 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

who infested the forest of Sherwood in Nottinghamshire, and 
from thence made excursions to many parts of England in search 
of booty. Some historians assert that this was only the name 
assumed by the then Earl of Huntingdon, who was disgraced and 
banished the court by Richard the First at his accession, but 
there is no good authority for this tradition. He died 1247. 

RoTbinson Crusoe.— The interesting and popular work of De 
Foe bearing this title is based upon the actual history of Alex- 
ander Selkirk, a seaman of Fife, who, while engaged in a piratical 
enterprise in the American seas in 1704, mutinied against his 
captain (Stradling), by whom he was put on shore on the solitary 
island of Juan Fernandez. Here he remained till February, 1709, 
when he was taken off by Captain Woodes Rogers, with whom, 
as mate of his vessel, he returned to England in 1711. 

Rolbsart, Amy. — The real Christian name of this unfortunate 
lady, whose ill-usage has formed the subject of romance, was 
Anne. She was the daughter of Sir John Robsart, and was 
married to Lord Robert Dudley, afterwards Earl of Leicester, 
and Queen Elizabeth's favourite. When Dudley became aware 
that he had found so much favour in his royal mistress's eyes, 
he formed the plan of contracting a royal alliance, and with this 
view determined first of all to secrete his wife, and afterwards to 
murder her. Amy or Anne Robsart was accordingly induced by 
her husband to withdraw to the retired mansion of Cumnor, near 
Abingdon, and here she was found dead at the foot of the stairs, 
September 8th, 1560. There is little doubt that the Earl or one 
of his creatures procured the death of the unhappy lady, and the 
body was placed where it was found to favour the idea that she 
had fallen down stairs. 

Schlmmel, Peter, " The Man without a Shadow."— The hero 
of a modern German romance which has attracted extraordinary 
attention from the singular nature of the main incident on which 
the whole story turns. Peter having sold his shadow to the 
Devil for certain valuable considerations, the deprivation of 
this opacity proves the curse of his life, for he finds that 
nobody can tolerate a man without a shadow ; the ladies shriek 
and withdraw from his society, and when he appears in the streets 



EOMANCE, LEGEND, ETC. 195 

the little boys shout after him. In short, he very soon repents of 
his bargain, and would gladly give the Evil One his substance to 
get back his shade. 

Seven Sleepers. — One of the fables of history relates that, in 
the time of the emperor Decius, when the Christians were per- 
secuted, seven noble youths of Ephesus concealed themselves in 
a neighbouring cavern, the entrance to which was closed by order 
of the emperor. The persecuted youths immediately fell into a 
deep slumber, from which they were accidentally awakened after 
a period of 187 years. The sleepers were found still bearing the 
bloom of youth. They related their story to the multitude, gave 
them their benediction, and expired. 

Stella and Vanessa. — The feigned names of two ladies with 
whom the personal history of the celebrated Dean Swift is 
intimately associated. During Swift's residence in Ireland he 
invited a young lady named Johnston (Stella), with whom he 
had become acquainted in England, to come and reside near him. 
The invitation was accepted, and the lady, accompanied by a 
friend, took up her abode in the village where Swift resided. 
When he was there they lived in the village, and during his 
absence they occupied the parsonage-house. He afterwards, when 
in London, made the acquaintance of Miss Hester Vanhomrigh 
(Vanessa), a woman of fortune and literary taste, to whom he 
acted as tutor. She became greatly attached to him, and even 
offered him her hand in marriage. He avoided giving her a 
direct answer, but carried on a long correspondence with her 
under the feigned names of Cadenus and Vanessa. She even 
followed him to Ireland. Meanwhile Stella's jealousy appears to 
have been excited, and to satisfy her, he offered to marry her on 
condition that they lived still on the same terms as they had done 
for the last sixteen years. They were accordingly married 
privately in 1716, and Stella continued to superintend Swift's 
household as she had done before, but the union was never 
acknowledged. After some time, Miss Vanhomrigh discovered 
the affair ; she never recovered the blow, and died fourteen 
months afterwards. Swift's wife also died heart-broken by his 
neglect and coldness. It is said that when her health was quite 

h 2 



196 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: 

broken he offered to acknowledge their union, but she replied 
that it was too late. 

Valentine and Orson. — A well-known romantic legend said 
to have the following origin : — Bellisant, the wife of Alexander, 
emperor of Constantinople, having been falsely accused by the 
prime minister, was banished the court. She fled for refuge to 
the forest of Orleans, and there gave birth to male twins ; one 
of these was taken from her by a she-bear, and suckled by it for 
some time, hence called Orson. The other, being discovered by 
King Pepin of France, Bellisant's brother, during the search 
after Orson, was brought up at the court of his uncle. Orson 
still continued to live in the forest, and became a terror to the 
neighbourhood from his savage and ferocious deeds ; subsequently 
he was overcome by his brother, and was tamed so far as to be 
brought to court. Under these influences his habits and bearing 
became gradually refined, he became attached to one of the orders 
of knighthood, and ultimately married one of the king's daughters. 

White Doe of Kylstone— A family named Norton, consisting 
of a father and nine sons, residing at Rylstone, in the north of 
England, were condemned to death for being concerned in a 
conspiracy against Queen Elizabeth. The legend relates that 
Emily Norton, a young maiden, determined upon procuring the 
royal pardon for her father and brothers, and with this view set 
out on foot for London, accompanied only by a, white doe. To this 
pet animal is attributed such extraordinary sagacity as to render 
it an important actor in the scenes that followed. The queen's 
presence was gained, the pardon procured, but it arrived in time 
to save only one of the brothers, the remaining eight, with the 
father, having been executed just before the arrival of the pardon.. 



PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 197 



SECTIOIT XVI. 

PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, DISTINGUISHING 
TITLES, etc. 

A'Kempis, Thomas.— A monk, born about 1380, at Kempen 
(whence his name), in the diocese of Cologne; died in 1471. 
He is the author of several religious works, the most celebrated 
of which is " De Imitatione Christi" (on the imitation of Christ). 
This work has appeared in above a thousand different editions. 

Alonzo the Brave. — A well-known name in romantic legends. 
It was borne by many kings and warriors, particularly Alonzo 
the Fourth, King of Portugal, who ascended the throne 1325, 
and whose whole life was passed in military adventures and 
personal encounters, in which he displayed great bravery. 

Ancient Comedy, Prince of. — An epithet applied to Aristo- 
phanes, a Greek author who nourished about 435 B.C. 

Aristarchns. — An appellation for a person who criticises 
literary performances too severely ; from a Greek critic of this 
name, who passed severe strictures upon the works of Pindar 
and other poets. 

Aristides the Just. — The Athenian Archon and general, 
flourished about 480 B.C. He gained this illustrious appellation 
by his strict impartiality in judicial decisions, by his unimpeach- 
able probity, and by the sacrifice of all personal considerations 
for his country's good. He died so poor, that the state was 
obliged to supply the means for his interment. 

Attic Bee.— Xenophon was so called, for his mellifluous style ; 
he combined simplicity of language with sagacity of observation. 

Aurungzebe.— That is " Ornament of the throne ;" his proper 
name was Mohammed ; he was the third son of Shah Jehan, and 
was born in 1619. He was the last powerful and energetic 



198 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

sovereign that reigned over the Mogol Empire of Hindostan. 
He carried on many wars, conquered Golconda and Visiapour, 
and drove out the Mahrattas from their country. He died in 
1707, and with his death, the brilliant epoch of the Mogol 
power in India was terminated. 

Avon, Swan of. — A designation for Shakspeare, who was born 
at Stratford-upon-Avon. 

Ayrshire Ploughman. — Robert Burns, the poet, was so called, 
it being in the humble capacity of a ploughman, and in Ayrshire, 
that he gave indications of his extraordinary genius. 

Barharossa. — A famous pirate, otherwise called Horush. From 
a very humble origin he rose by his skill, cunning, and bravery, 
to lay the foundation of the Turkish dominion in Algiers, and 
was eventually proclaimed Sultan, about the year 1500. The 
name of Barbarossa is said to have been given to this adventurer 
by the Christian sailors, on account of his red beard. 

Barebones, Praise-God— A fanatic of the time of Cromwell, 
who assumed this extraordinary name upon his joining the 
Puritans. He was originally a leather-seller of London ; was 
afterwards Member of Parliament, and became notorious for his 
religious exhortations, sermons, and other exercises, which were 
of extreme length, and delivered in public. 

Bavins and Msevras.— The names of two wretched poets in 
Virgil's days, and who have been regarded as the representatives 
of poetasters of succeeding generations. 

Bede, Venerable.— An ancient English writer, whose fame for 
learning spread over the whole of Europe. He devoted the 
whole of his life to the writing of his "Ecclesiastical 
History," and other works, and in instructing the young monks. 
Born 672 ; died 735. An English council directed his works to 
be publicly read in churches. 

Belisarins Blind. — This is an historical tradition, the truth or 
falsity of which has given rise to many disputes among the 
different authorities. Belisarius was consul of Rome in the 
year 536. For many years he was one of their most successful 
generals, and particularly distinguished himself in his expeditions 
against the Goths and Vandals. In 562, a conspiracy against the 



PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 199 

Emperor Justinian was discovered, in which Belisarius was 
accused of being concerned ; one account says that he was 
acquitted of this charge : but the popular tradition is, that he 
was deprived of his eyes, and reduced to beg his bread, ex- 
claiming to the passers-by, " Give a penny to Belisarius the 
general." 

Belted Will. — The familiar name of a celebrated warrior 
and local legislator, whose real appellation was Lord William 
Howard. As Warden of the Western Marches, the particular 
office assigned to him was " keeping the Border," which in those 
lawless times demanded considerable vigour, energy, and tact. 
In addition to his military prowess and administrative ability, he 
possessed great literary talent, and wrote much under the signa- 
ture of " Will. Howard." Altogether he was probably one of 
the most extraordinary men of the period in which he lived. 

Bentinck, Dutch. — William Bentinck, first Earl of Portland, 
was born in Holland, became the devoted friend of William, 
Prince of Orange ; accompanied him in his expedition into 
England, and contributed to place him on the throne. He was 
loaded with favours by William, who conferred the earldom upon 
him, sent him ambassador to France, and employed him in 
several important negotiations. This partiality so incensed the 
English, as to give rise to the invidious nickname. 

Bieil Aime". — An epithet signifying " well-beloved," and 
applied to Louis the Fifteenth of France, who, at the commence- 
ment of his reign, possessed the affections of his people to an 
extraordinary degree. This love, however, gradually changed to 
hatred when the king gave himself up to selfish pleasures, 
debaucheries, and orgies of the lowest description. 

Black Prince. — A name given to Edward, Prince of Wales, 
son of Edward the Third, King of England ; because, in battle, 
he was equipped in a complete suit of black armour. 

Bluff King Hal. — Henry the Eighth of England, who was 
remarkable for his unpolished manners, and curt mode of 
speaking. 

Boanerges. — Sons of thunder ; an appellation given by our 
Saviour to his two disciples James and John. 



200 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Bomba. — This name was given to Ferdinand the Second, King 
of Naples, by the Sicilians, after his bombardment of Messina, in 
1848, in which the destruction of buildings and the slaughter of 
the inhabitants were immense, and contributed, more than any act 
of the king's, to the hatred entertained against him in that island. 

Borgia, Infamous. — A profligate son of Pope Alexander the 
Sixth, who from jealous motives had a brother drowned, and 
also despatched several other persons, to gratify his avarice or 
revenge. He was sent a prisoner to Spain, made his escape, 
and died fighting as a volunteer in the service of his brother-in- 
law, the king of Navarre, under the walls of Pampeluna, in 1507. 

Braves, Le Brave des. — An epithet which the soldiers of the 
French army bestowed upon Marshal Ney, who served with great 
distinction under Bonaparte in all his battles, and was con- 
spicuous for the gallantry and intrepidity which he displayed in 
the field. He was shot by order of the Bourbons, upon their being 
replaced on the throne, and met his death with the calmness and 
fortitude which were eminently characteristic of the man. 

Bray, Vicar of. — A clergyman of the name of Pendleton, who, 
during the reigns of Henry the Eighth and his three successors, 
was Vicar of Bray, a parish of Berkshire, near Maidenhead. 
This time-serving priest managed to retain his appointment by 
accommodating himself to the several changes of doctrine, and 
conforming his faith agreeably to popular opinion. He defended 
this inconsistency, by declaring it to be his determination that, 
come what might, he would live and die " Vicar of Bray." 

British Solomon. — An epithet applied by way of derision to 
James the First of England, who affected great wisdom and 
learning, but, in reality, possessed very little of the one and only 
a smattering of the other. 

Bronte. — An estate and title bestowed by the king of Naples 
on Lord Nelson, 1798. 

Brooke, Bajah. — Sir James Brooke, an enterprising English- 
man, who served for many years in India. In 1835, he landed at 
Sarawak, a province in the north-east of Borneo, and having 
assisted in suppressing a rebellion of the Dyaks, he received the 
title of Rajah. 



PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 201 

Brown, Capability. — Lancelot Brown, so called from his 
incessant usage of the terra " capability," as well as for the taste 
and ability he displayed in rendering sterile land fruitful, and 
imparting beauty and attractiveness to grounds hitherto wild and 
unsightly. He was employed by the Court and the chief of the 
nobility, and succeeded in banishing from England that stiff and 
formal style of gardening which had so long prevailed. 

Byzantine Historians. — The collective title of a series of 
Greek historians who lived under the Eastern Empire, between 
the sixth and fifteenth centuries. They number nearly thirty, 
and their works constitute almost the only authentic record of 
that period. 

Caesar. — The title of Caesar with the Romans took its rise from 
the cognomen of the dictator Caius Julius Caesar, which, by a 
decree of the senate, all the emperors were to bear. Under his 
successor, Augustus, the first emperor, the appellation Augustus 
was appropriated to the emperors, in compliment to that prince ; 
and that of Caesar was given to the second person in the empire, 
though it still continued also to be applied to the first ; hence the 
difference between Caesar used simply, and Caesar with the addi- 
tion of " Imperator Augustus." 

Capet, Louis. — The name given in derision by the republican 
party of France to the unfortunate Louis the Sixteenth. When 
brought before the revolutionary tribunal he was addressed as 
Bourbon, at which he protested that he was no more a Bourbon 
than a Capet. " Capet be it then," was the derisive reply ; and 
henceforward the monarch was arraigned as Louis Capet. 

Captivity, Prince of the. — After the destruction of Jerusalem 
and the consequent dispersion of the Jews, many of them volun- 
tarily remained at Mesopotamia, where they constituted for several 
centuries a pretty large community, alternately under the Parthian 
and Eoman dominion, and ruled by a chief with the title of Prince 
of the Captivity. 

Carthaginian Lion. — An appellation commonly bestowed on 
Hannibal, the famous Carthaginian general, whose military 
prowess, bravery, and energy are matters of historical notoriety. 
Cato the Censor. — An illustrious Roman, born 235 b.c. He 



202 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

was distinguished alike for his valour and temperance. After 
serving for many years in the Roman army, he was elected Censor, 
and exercised the functions of that office with a stringency which 
passed into a proverb. 

Charlemagne. — A name which, in the French-Latin of the 
earliest periods, signified " Charles the Great." It was given to 
Charles, the son of Pepin the Short, who, from the year 768 to 
814, a period of forty- seven years, held a glorious reign over the 
united kingdoms of France and Germany. 

Charlie, Prince. — The familiar title which was conferred upon 
Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender, by his adherents. 

Chevalier sans Penr et sans Keproche (without fear and with- 
out reproach). — A designation bestowed upon Peter Bayard, a 
French warrior, born 1476. From the age of eighteen until his 
death he was engaged in a constant succession of battles, and in 
all of them displayed remarkable courage and gallantry. He 
was also conspicuous for his humanity, courtesy, and gentle bear- 
ing, and was esteemed even by his enemies. He died in battle 
in the forty-eighth year of his age, and when fatally wounded, 
desired that he might be placed with his back against a tree, to 
enable him to watch the varying fortunes of the fight ; in this 
situation he expired from his wound. 

Citizen King. — An epithet for Louis Philippe, King of the 
French, who at times laid aside the external emblems of royalty, 
and mingled with the people of Paris and of other places as an 
ordinary citizen. 

Cloots, Anacharsis. — A leader of the French Revolution, 
whose real Christian name was John Baptist, but who assumed 
the cognomen of Anacharsis, that being the name of a famous 
Greek sage. This extraordinary individual distinguished himself 
by his impiety and extravagance. He denied the authority of all 
rulers, performed various feats of madness, and was at 
guillotined by order of Robespierre, 1794. 

Cobham, Good Lord. — Sir John Oldcastle, who inherited the 
peerage of Cobham in the reign of Richard the Second, was so 
called. He distinguished himself by his patriotism and indepen- 
dent spirit, and chiefly by denouncing the abuses of the Govern- 



PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 203 

ment and the corruption of the clergy. He was excommunicated 
and imprisoned in the Tower. He effected his escape, was re- 
taken, and hanged in chains over a fire, which consumed him. 

Cockpen, Laird of. — The name of the person thus designated 
was one Mark Caross, to whom belonged the lands of Cockpen, 
situated about seven miles from Edinburgh. The Laird accom- 
panied Charles the Second in his wanderings, and is said to have 
cheered the heart of that monarch by his good-humoured sallies, 
but especially by the inimitable manner in which he could play 
favourite tune of the king's, called " Brose and Butter." 

Ccenr-de-Lion. — " Lion-hearted," an epithet applied to Richard 
the First of England, whose military skill and valour formed the 
most conspicuous part of his character. 

Cologne, Three Kings of.— A name commonly given to the 
kings of the Magi, who were led by the star to the cradle of our 
Saviour in Bethlehem, and to whom a shrine in Cologne Cathe- 
dral is dedicated. 

Conde, the Great. — Louis the Second, Prince of Conde, was so 
called. He was born in 1621, and in early years displayed great 
military genius. At the age of twenty -two, he gained a decisive 
victory over the Spaniards, and followed this up. with a series of 
other achievements against France and Holland. He died in 1686. 

Corn-law XLhymer. — The popular title of Ebenezer Elliot, who 
was born at Masborough, Yorkshire, 1781. He was a self-taught 
man, and made himself chiefly known by several poems, in which 
he assailed the odious corn-laws with considerable vigour and 
power of expression. He died in 1849. 

Cornwall, Duke of.— A title which the eldest son of the so- 
vereign of England inherits with his birth. The first duke was 
the son of Edward the Third, created in 1337. 

Cotton Lords.— An epithet applied to the large dealers in 
cotton and cloth stuffs in Manchester, Liverpool, and other places. 
They are so called on account of their great wealth, commercial 
power, local influence, &c. 

Crichton, Admirable. — The popular cognomen of a celebrated 
Scotchman, James Crichton, who was born in 1550. He was so 
called from the great reputation he acquired not only for all kinds 



204 THE HISTOKICAL FINGER-POST: 

of learning, but for his skill in every sort of game, and his prowess 
and address in martial exercises. At Paris, Kome, Venice, and 
other places, he became noted among the eminent professors as a 
successful disputant. While at Mantua, he slew a famous fencing- 
master in a duel. The Duke of Mantua admired him so much, 
as to appoint him tutor to his son, a licentious young man, by 
whom, it is said, he was assassinated in the public streets during 
the carnival, 1583. 

Crooked-Back Tyrant.— An epithet applied to Richard the 
Third of England, who by a series of foul murders became 
possessed of the throne, and who exercised a cruel and despotic 
sway over his subjects. He is popularly represented as being 
misshapen, and especially as having a hump on his back ; but 
recent investigations go far to prove this portrayal to be not so 
much a deduction from fact as an association of bodily distortion 
with moral deformity. 

Cuilo&en, Butcher of. — A designation given by way of reproach 
to the Duke of Cumberland, who commanded the forces employed 
to put down the rebellion in Scotland, and who signalized his 
command by the great and unnecessary slaughter committed after 
the victory of Culloden, in 1746. 

Baim, Oliver le. — The son of a Flemish peasant. He obtained 
a situation in the household of Louis the Eleventh, who made 
him his barber, and caused him to change his name from " Oliver 
le Diable," by which he was previously known, to that of Oliver 
le Daim (the deer). He had great influence with Louis, whose 
confidant and prime adviser he became. After the death of 
that monarch, Daim was accused of treason, and suffered death 
in 1484. 

Dancing Chancellor.— An epithet for Sir Christopher Hatton, 
who attracted the notice of Queen Elizabeth by his graceful dancing 
in a masque, and was therefore, without any legal qualification, 
made Lord Chancellor. His fondness for dancing was such that 
he was continually practising it ; he disported himself in his 
favourite amusement before the public upon every opportunity, 
and was noted as being the most elegant dancer of his time. 
He died in 1591. 



PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 205 

Delight of Mankind.— A title conferred upon Titus, the Eoman 
emperor, who ascended the throne in the year 79. He was 
amiable, just, generous, and brave. 

Diable, Robert le. — A name given to Robert Damiens, who 
was born near Artois in 1715. He is accused of being guilty of 
every kind of vice and crime : he poisoned one employer, robbed 
another, and committed a variety of depredations ; finally he 
attempted to assassinate Louis the Fifteenth, and did succeed in 
wounding that monarch, but not mortally. For this crime he was 
doomed to suffer the most horrible tortures, and was torn to pieces 
by horses. The execution took place in 1757. 

Dieu-Donne. — The name given in his infancy to Louis the 
Fourteenth ; the French people regarding him as a gift from 
Heaven • the queen, his mother, having been childless for twenty- 
three years previously. 

Dog, The. — A surname earned by Antisthenes, an Athenian 
philosopher, born about 420 B.C. He studied under Socrates, 
and rendered himself notorious by his snarling censures of 
the age. 

Dumb Atys. — Atys, the son of Croesus, king of Lydia, was 
born dumb. Being in battle, he saw a soldier raise his sword 
against his father ; he exerted himself so greatly, that the bands 
of his tongue were loosened, and he cried out, " Soldier, kill not 
Croesus ! " 

Duns Scotus. — A name commonly given to John Duns, a cele- 
brated theologian of the order of St. Francis, who flourished 
towards the end of the thirteenth century ; he distinguished 
himself by his acuteness and subtlety in religious disputations. 

Egalite. — French for " equality ; " a name assumed by the 
Duke of Orleans, brother of the unfortunate Louis the Sixteenth. 
This dissolute nobleman, forgetting the ties of kindred, and 
setting aside the instincts of his order, joined the revolutionary 
party, and in deference to their principles ceased to acknowledge 
his ducal rank, and styled himself " Citizen Egalite." This base 
and bad man was ultimately beheaded by the very party to which 
he had attached himself. 

Elia. — The signature under which Charles Lamb wrote his 
admirable essays. The name was that of a fellow- clerk of the 



206 THE HISTORICAL FINGEE-POST : 

author's at the South Sea House ; it was prefixed to the first 
essay, which was on the " Old South Sea House ; " the editor 
of the periodical to which Lamb contributed, afterwards used it 
to distinguish Lamb's articles, and the author himself finally 
adopted it. 

Empecinado. — An appellation acquired by a famous Spanish 
chief of the guerilla bands, which, by their peculiar mode of 
warfare, worked so much mischief to the French troops, when 
they invaded Spain. The real name of this person was Juan 
Martin Diez, and his surname is supposed to have been given him 
from the darkness of his complexion. 

Epic Poetry, Father of.— Homer is so styled, and he is thus 
acknowleged to this day. His poems were the principal founda- 
tion of the whole literature of the Greeks. 

Essayists. — The title customarily given to a class of English 
writers, who produced periodical essays upon subjects of general 
interest, as morals, criticism, manners, &c. The works include 
the "Tatler," "Spectator," "Guardian," " Eambler," "Idler," 
" Mirror," " Lounger," " Connoisseur," &c. ; and the authors com- 
prised Addison, Steele, Johnson, Cumberland, Hawkesworth, 
Moore, and others. 

Est-il Possible. — A nickname gained by Prince George of 
Denmark, who was son-in-law of James the Second, by his 
marriage with Princess Anne, afterwards Queen Anne. At the 
time when the desertions of the English nobility from the cause 
of James the Second were hourly taking place, Prince George, 
on the receipt of every item of intelligence, uttered an invariable 
exclamation of " Est-il possible ? " (Is it possible ?) At length, 
the prince himself deserted the royal cause, and left England ; 
upon hearing which, the unhappy monarch asked, grimly, 
" What ! is ' Est-il possible ' gone too ? " 

Ettrick Shepherd.— James Hogg, a Scotch poet so called, 
born at Ettrick in 1772, died at the same place, 1835. While 
still tending his flocks, he wrote songs and other poems betraying 
great natural talent, and considerable graphic power. He 
attracted the notice of Sir Walter Scott, Professor Wilson, and 
others, and finally emerged from his obscure station, and became 
a successful author. 



PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 207 

Farmer George.— An epithet applied to George the Third, 
who was conspicuous for his bucolic predilections and his 
agricultural tastes. It was said that England owning him as 
a king had sacrificed one of her best farmers. 

Father Thoughtful.— A nickname given to Napoleon Bona- 
parte, from a habit which he had of relapsing into fits of deep 
thought and total abstraction. 

Finality John. — A political nickname given to Lord John 
Eussell, who, upon Mr. Hume introducing a measure for " further 
reform," declared that it was not needed, and that the bill 
passed a short time previously ought to be regarded as final. 

First Gentleman in Europe, — George the Fourth of England 
was so called, for, in spite of his many failings and blemishes of 
character, he undoubtedly possessed a distinguished address, 
elegant manners, and a refined taste. 

Fletcher of Saltoim. — A conspicuous member of the Scotch 
parliament, who excited violent debates in that assembly, by 
his motion respecting the Hanoverian succession, May 6th, 1703. 

Fools, Prince of.— An epithet applied to a celebrated jester, 
in the court of Henry the Fourth of France, named Angoulevant. 
He had a curious law-suit with the comedian of the Hotel de 
Bourgogne, touching the right belonging to his princedom. 

Forwards, Marshal. — A name given to the celebrated Field- 
Marshal Blucher, who was remarkable for the celerity and 
promptitude of his movements in the field. 

Fra Diavolo. — Italian for " Brother of the Devil," an epithet 
bestowed upon a person whose real name was Michael Pozzo, 
born 1769. Originally a stocking-maker, he became a friar, 
and while belonging to a pious brotherhood was connected with 
a Calabrian banditti. As bandit and priest, he assisted the 
cause of the Bourbons of Naples, for which he was liberally 
rewarded. When Joseph Napoleon became King of Naples, 
Pozzo again engaged in political strife, and with a large body 
of bandits and recruits, entered the city, threw open the prisons, 
liberated their inmates, and made war upon the partisans of 
Joseph. After a severe contest, he was totally defeated, taken 
prisoner, tried and executed in 1806. 



208 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: 

French, King of the. — It was decreed by the National 
Assembly in 1789, that the title of King of France should be 
changed in the person of Louis the Sixteenth to that of " King 
of the French." Under this style Louis Philippe was invited 
to the monarchy. 

Fritz. — A diminutive and familiar name given to Frederick the 
Great of Prussia. 

Geoffrey of Monmouth, — An ecclesiastic and historian of the 
twelfth century. He was educated in a convent at Monmouth^ 
and was afterwards made archdeacon of the same place. His 
historical chronicles are regarded as a mixture of fact and fiction. 

Glorious John. — A popular name for the poet John Dryden, 
given on account of the comprehensiveness and grandeur of his 
poetical compositions. 

Godfrey de Bouillon.— Son of Eustace, Earl of Boulogne, and 
Ida, sister of Godfrey the Fourth, Duke of Lower Lorraine, 
joined the first Crusade, 1096, and was elected king of Jerusalem, 
1099. Died July 18, 1100. 

Great Unknown. — An epithet popularly applied to the author 
of the Waverley novels when they originally appeared, Sir Walter 
Scott having then studiously withheld his name from the public. 

Hamilton, Single Speech. — A name given to the Right Hon. 
William Gerrard Hamilton, Chancellor of the Exchequer in 
Ireland, and at one time member of Parliament for Wilton, Wilts. 
He earned this singular title from the circumstance of his having 
made one speech which created a great sensation, and with the 
exception of this single effort, never, either before or after, mani- 
festing the slightest oratorical ability. The speech in question 
was delivered on the opening of the session of 1755. 

Hampden, Patriot. — John Hampden, so called from his 
patriotic opposition to the tyrannical measures of Charles the 
First, and especially the impost known as ship-money, which the 
king sought to demand of the people. He took a prominent part 
in the contest between the Crown and the Parliament, and com- 
manded a regiment in the Parliamentarian army. 

Harry, Blind. — A famous Scottish minstrel popularly so called, 
who lived towards the close of the fifteenth century. Blind 



PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 209 

Harry's most celebrated performance is a poem in eleven books 
on the adventures of Wallace. 

Heaven-Born Minister. — An epithet applied to the celebrated 
statesman William Pitt, who at the early age of twenty-three 
became Chancellor of the Exchequer, and was thus popularly 
said to have been born a minister. 

Herbert of Chefbury.— Edward, Lord Herbert, a courtier and 
politician in the time of James the First, but who is best known 
to posterity as a writer upon moral philosophy, and a profound 
and original thinker. Some of his theories are remarkable for 
their fanciful and eccentric character ; but as a whole, his specula- 
tions manifest a vast amount of intelligence and research. 

History, Father of. — The title bestowed upon Herodotus, a 
celebrated Greek historian. The history written by him consists 
of nine books, having for their principal subjects the wars waged 
by the Persians against Greece ; he is said to have recited parts 
of this history to the Greeks themselves at the Olympic meetings, 
being enthusiastically applauded for his performance, and munifi- 
cently rewarded. Died about 406 B.C. 

Holy Maid of Kent. — A name given to a young woman of 
humble origin, who acted in the capacity of servant at an inn 
at Aldington in Kent, in the year 1525. She was subject to 
epileptic fits, and during the paroxysms gave utterance to in- 
coherent phrases and exclamations, which the ignorance and 
superstition of the times attributed to inspiration and the gift of 
prophecy. She appears to have been made the tool of certain 
monks, and under their tuition ventured upon various predictions, 
some of which were by accident fulfilled. She was at length 
bold enough to prognosticate the death and downfall of the king, 
Henry the Eighth, and for this offence she and her accomplices 
were executed at Tyburn, April 21, 1534. 

Hotspur. — The surname of Henry Percy, son of the Earl of 
Northumberland. The name was conferred upon him for the energy 
and gallantry he displayed in battle ; among other deeds he slew 
the redoubtable Earl of Douglas. He was slain at the Battle of 
Shrewsbury, in 1403. 

Hunt, Orator. — Henry Hunt, an English Eadical, born 1773, 



210 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

died 1 835. He made it his business to travel through the principal 
towns of England, lecturing and speaking against the abuses of 
Government and in favour of reform. In the course of his political 
career he was arrested and condemned to a year's incarceration. 
In 1831 he entered the House of Commons, 

Iron Duke. — A name bestowed upon the great Duke of 
Wellington, whose constitution appeared to defy the influences 
of climate, the fatigues of warfare, and the cares of office ; also 
on account of his stern and inflexible will, which knew no change 
from the line of duty marked out. 

Isaak, Old. — The familiar name of Isaak Walton, the author 
of several writings of a religious character, but whose fame 
chiefly rests upon a work entitled " The Complete Angler," in 
which he invests the pursuit of angling with an irresistible 
charm and fascination. His peaceful and blameless life commands 
personal respect and esteem. He died in 1720. 

Italy, Liberator of. — A term conferred upon Garibaldi, who 
by his courage and address rescued a portion of the Italian people 
from the tyrannical rule of the king of Naples, and was the chief 
instrument by which the scattered states were incorporated into 
one kingdom, and placed under a constitutional monarchy. 

Jabal. — Mentioned in the Scriptures as the " father of all such 
as dwell in tents." A tent in the ancient Hebrew signified any 
rude sort of dwelling. Possibly Jabal was the inventor of such 
imperfect domestic architecture as was known to the earliest of 
the Antediluvians. 

Jeffreys, Cruel. — The distinguishing title of Jeffreys, a judge 
in the time of Charles the Second and James the Second, making 
himself the especial tool of the latter monarch, and in the name 
of Justice perpetrating the most barbarous cruelties. Died in the 
Tower in 1689. 

Jennings, Sarah. — The name by which the celebrated Duchess 
of Marlborough was distinguished by the political party which 
she. served. Assisted by the Whig administration, this able 
woman ruled her mistress, Queen Anne, and directed the counsels 
of England for many years, until she was undermined by her 
rival Mrs. Masham. 



PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 211 

Joe Miller. — Joseph Miller, an eccentric comedian and com- 
piler of a famous book of jests, which jests have been since 
designated by the name of the author. He died in 1738. 

Jones, Boy. — An impudent and daring urchin who, on several 
occasions, gained access to Buckingham Palace and secreted 
himself behind the hangings, furniture, &c. It appears that he 
was prompted to do this by idle curiosity alone. 

Judicious Bottle -Holder. — A title playfully applied to Lord 
Palmerston, who has been for many years mixed up with the policy 
of the various courts of Europe, and who is supposed to be able 
by his influence, talents, and position to control to a considerable 
extent the elements of peace and war. 

Julian the Apostate. — The emperor Julian, so called because 
he professed the Christian religion before he ascended to the 
throne, and afterwards, having embraced Paganism, endeavoured 
to abolish Christianity. 

King-Maker. — A name given to the Earl of Warwick, a famous 
general and statesman, who acquired this title from the versatility 
of his conduct, and the success that attended it, in the civil war 
between Heniy the Sixth and Edward the Fourth, in which he 
for some time espoused the cause of Henry, and then went over 
to Edward, whom he seated on the throne. He afterwards revolted 
against Edward, took him prisoner in battle, and aided Henry 
to re-ascend the throne. Died 1471. 

Lake Poets. — The title given to a school of English poets 
which included Southey, Wordsworth, Coleridge, and others. For 
a time they took up their residence in the neighbourhood of the 
lakes of Westmoreland, and formed a sort of poetical brotherhood. 

Laughing Philosopher. — Democritus, a celebrated Greek 
philosopher, born 460 B.C., was so called by reason of his ordi- 
narily manifesting contempt for the follies of mankind by unre- 
strained laughter. 

Letters, Father of. — An appellation given to Francis the First, 
who was the great means of introducing science, art, and litera- 
ture into France. 

Lexicographer, The Great. — A designation by which the 
learned Dr. Johnson is indicated. His remarkable compilation of 



212 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

the English dictionary legitimately gives him a right to the 
appellation. 

Liberty, Captains of.— The title assumed by two citizens of 
Genoa, named Oberto Spinola and Oberto Doria, who, from 1270 
to 1291, usurped the supreme power. 

Lille, Comte de. — The name which the Comte de Provence 
(afterwards Louis the Eighteenth) adopted when he emigrated, 
during the life of Louis the Sixteenth. 

Lin, Commissioner. — A celebrated Chinese officer, appointed 
" High Commissioner " in 1839, for the purpose of putting a 
stop to the contraband traffic in opium between the British and 
the people of China. Lin conducted matters with remarkable 
decision and firmness, and succeeded in effecting the object that 
he was deputed to accomplish. 

Little Corporal.— A name given to Napoleon Buonaparte by 
his army, after the Battle of Lodi, in which he fought hand to 
hand, like one in the ranks, and displayed great personal bravery. 
Loretto, Our Lady of. — One of the names of the Virgin Mary, 
because at Loretto, a town in Italy, there is a rich and magnificent 
church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and in which there is the 
chapel of Nazareth, which had been transported from Palestine 
to Loretto. This chapel, to which pilgrimages are made, has 
within it a statue of the Virgin Mary, the particular object of 
veneration by the pilgrims. 

Maecenas of Literature. — Maecenas was the name of an 
illustrious Roman, who flourished in the reign of Augustus. He 
was eminent for his patronage of learned men, and specially 
encouraged the early efforts of Virgil, Horace, and other illus- 
trious men of letters. Persons who have subsequently displayed 
a similar interest, have each been denominated the " Maecenas of 
Literature." 

Mantuan Bard. — An epithet applied to the poet Virgil, who 
was born in the neighbourhood of Mantua, 70 B.C. 

Maro. — The cognomen of the poet Virgil ; whose designation 
in full in Latin was Publius Virgilius Maro. 

Martel. — This surname was given to Charles, one of the 
ancient rulers of the Franks ; it means " hammer," and it was 



PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 213 

thus applied because, in 724, he saved Christendom, by his victory 
at Tours, at which, by force of arms, he displayed himself to 
be " the hammer of the Saracens." 

Masliam, Mrs. — One of the ladies of the court of Queen 
Anne, whose name is intimately connected with the political 
history of that period. The maiden name of this person was 
Abigail Hill, and she was a poor relative of the Duchess of 
Marlborough, who obtained for her the appointment of " cradle 
rocker " to the infant Duke of Gloucester. She afterwards 
became chamber-woman ; and, finally, by the exercise of deceit 
and unscrupulousness, became prime favourite with the queen, 
supplanting her former benefactress, and annihilating her power 
at court. For a long period, this woman exercised a most 
extraordinary ascendancy over the mind of Anne, directing her in 
all state affairs, plotting with and against ministers, and virtually 
ruling the kingdom. She subsequently became Lady Masham, 
by the elevation of her husband to the peerage ; and died in 1734. 

Maxinras the Greek. — A celebrated personage in Russian 
church history, born towards the end of the fifteenth century. 
He undertook the translation of the writings of the early Greek 
Church into the Sclavonian language, and in the execution of his 
task displayed remarkable industry and intelligence. He was 
also the writer of a great number of works upon religion and 
philosophy, from which much information of the early ages has 
been derived. His very merits gained him numerous enemies ; 
and at their instigation he was, some years previously to his death, 
confined in a monastery and treated with great cruelty. 

Merchant Princes.— The most eminent merchants of England 
are so termed, from their possessions, munificence, and princely 
style of living. 

Merry Monarch.— A title of Charles the Second of England, 
who treated even the most serious affairs with levity, and made 
jesting the chief occupation of his life. 

Middleton, Memory. — Mr. Micldleton was a civil servant of 
the East India Company during the rule of Warren Hastings. 
When called upon to give evidence against his late chief, his 
" memory failed to serve him " on so many points pressing 



214 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

against the accused, that he acquired and retained the sobriquet 
of " Memory Middleton." 

Monarque, Grand.— A name conferred upon Louis the Four- 
teenth of France, whose notions respecting the kingly dignity 
were on the grandest and most exalted scale. 

Monk Lewis. — Mathew Gregory Lewis, a romance writer, so 
called from a famous work he wrote entitled " The Monk," a story 
displaying great power, but sullied by licentiousness. 

■EEonmOUth, King.— A title conferred upon the Duke 
Monmouth, in the western counties of England, upon the occasion 
of his seeking possession of the British throne. This strange 
appellation was given him to prevent any confusion which might 
have arisen if they had called him James the Second. 

Morley, Mrs., and Freeman, Mrs. — Two names assumed, 
Mrs. Morley by Princess afterwards Queen Anne, and Mrs. Free- 
man by Lady Churchill, afterwards Duchess of Marlborough. Lady 
Churchill had been for many years the companion of the princess, 
and attended her latterly as Lady of the Bedchamber. The prin- 
cess conceived a romantic fondness for her attendant, and, impa- 
tient of the restraint which etiquette imposed, invented two names 
by which they might address each other without ceremony ; and 
under these feigned appellations was carried on during twenty 
years a correspondence on which at last the fate of administrations 
and dynasties depended. 

Motion-Maker.— A political epithet applied to Lord Sandys, 
who, in 1741, brought forward a motion in the House of Commons, 
for the dismissal of Sir Eobert Walpole from his post of Chan- 
cellor of the Exchequer. The motion was lost, but Walpole soon 
after resigned, and Sandys succeeded him in his office. 

Murray, Good Regent. — The name which Scottish history 
assigns to James Stuart, Earl of Murray, who, during the infancy 
of the young prince, afterwards James the Sixth, and the im- 
prisonment of Mary, Queen of Scots, was appointed regent of Scot- 
land. He was a man of considerable energy and vigour, and 
rendered especial service to the cause of the Reformation. 

Nero. — This term is rendered synonymous with any ruler con- 



PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 215 

spicuous for wickedness, crime, and cruelty. Among other crimes, 
Nero put to death his mother and his wife ; Lucan, the poet ; 
Seneca, the philosopher ; and several other persons of eminence 
and distinction. He came at length to be regarded as a monster, 
was deserted by all his friends, and terminated his life by suicide 
in the year 68. 

Hetherby Knight. — A name given to Sir James Graham, one 
of the most eminent associates of the great Sir Eobert Peel. He 
owns an estate at Netherby, near Carlisle, and in that remote dis- 
trict holds somewhat ofthechivalric dignity of one of the knights 
of former times. 

Mle, Hero of the. — One of the epithets by which the name of 
Lord Nelson is handed down, who, at the Battle of the Nile, dis- 
played an amount of gallantry and heroism that served to raise the 
naval prowess of Great Britain to the very highest standard. 

Mmrod, "a Mighty Hunter "before the Lord."— Nimrod, 
according to the Scriptural account, was the founder of the As- 
syrian empire. Hunting was then not so much a diversion as a 
useful occupation, by which the wild beasts of the forests were 
subdued. This employment required great courage and address, 
and thus opened a career for the ambition of an aspiring man, and 
marked out the course for an enterprising conqueror. 

Nostradamus. — A person born in 1503, and descended from a 
noble family in Provence. His name has been handed down as the 
author of the most celebrated predictions of modern times. He 
represented himself to' be inspired and endued with the gift of 
prophecy, and with these pretensions published predictions of 
events connected with public affairs. What most particularly 
brought him into notice, and rendered him famous, was his pre- 
dicting, not only the death of Henry the Second of France, but 
the manner of it ; that monarch being wounded in a tournament, 
of which wound he died. He also predicted the execution of 
Charles the First of England, and 'foretold the persecutions of the 
Christian Church, in connection with the French Revolution. 

Old Hickory. — A nickname given to General Jackson. The 
hickory is an American tree, producing a timber valuable for 



216 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: 

its hardness and toughness. Hence its application to Jackson, 
who possessed firmness and inflexibility in an eminent degree. 

Old Man of the Mountain.— The title of the Mohammedan 
prophet Hassan who, about the time of the first Crusade, formed 
the fanatical sect of the Assassins, who dwelt in the mountainous 
heights of Syria. These men paid the blindest devotion to their 
chief, served him with unswerving courage and fidelity, and 
undertook with zest every murderous deed that was intrusted 
to them. 

Old Masters. — A name given collectively to the most celebrated 
painters of the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries ; 
the most famous being Leonardo da Vinci, Michael Angelo, Titian, 
Raffaele, Sebastian del Piombo, Correggio, Parmigiano, Paul 
Veronese, Annibale Caracci, Claude Lorraine, Rembrandt, 
and Salvator Rosa. 

Osnaburg, Bishop of.— This Bishopric partakes of both a tem- 
poral and ecclesiastical jurisdiction. It is an hereditary office 
belonging to the House of Brunswick, being held by that family 
alternately with others of the German empire. Sometimes the 
Bishop is a Roman Catholic, and at other times a Protestant. 
In the former case he is Suffragan to the Archbishop of Cologne; in 
the latter instance he has merely temporal power without any 
ecclesiastical functions. 

Outre-Mer. — A name under which Louis the Fourth of France 
was known, because, after the death of his father, Charles the 
Simple, his mother conducted him to the court of his brother 
Athelstan, in England, which was relatively beyond the sea 
(outre mei*). 

Pacificator.— Octavio Ferrari, historiographer of Milan, in the 
seventeenth century. He was so called on account of his affable 
and conciliatory temper, and for a happy way he had of reconciling 
persons who were at variance with each other. 

Painters, Prince of.— An epithet applied to Apelles, a famous 
Greek artist, who flourished in the beginning of the fourth cen- 
tury. His most celebrated work was "Venus rising from the 
sea." 

Palissy the Potter. — Bernard Palissy, born in 1524, was so 



PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 217 

called. His original trade was that of a potter ; but, being a man 
of an artistic and ingenious character, he was inflamed with an 
earnest desire to discover the method of applying enamel to stone- 
ware. In the pursuit of this discovery he wasted his fortune, and 
even injured his health without attaining his object. Nothing 
daunted, he earned further means, by several years of hard 
labour and frugality, and employed these in the prosecution 
of his darling project ; in his second essay he was more 
successful, and, gradually improving upon his discoveries, he gave 
to the world those exquisite specimens of stone-ware which are 
now placed within reach of the humblest individuals. 

Parr, Old. — A labourer in Shropshire remarkable for his 
longevity ; he is said to have been born in 1483, and to have died 
1635, having thus lived to 152 years of age. 

Patient Grisel or Griselda — The ever-patient wife of the Mar- 
quis di Saluzzo, the subject of one of Boccaccio's tales of the 
Decameron. The marquis endeavours to find for a wife a woman 
of all-enduring patience. He chooses Griselda, the daughter of 
one of his tenants, ill-treats her in a variety of ways, takes away 
her two sons, and makes her believe that they are killed. At 
last he turns her out of doors in her night-dress, and celebrates a 
marriage with a noble lady. But, finding that Griselda endures 
everything patiently, he takes her back, restores her two sons, 
and treats her as Marchioness. 

Peace, Prince of. — A title given to Don Manuel Godoy, Prime 
Minister of Spain, under Charles the Fourth. He was so called 
from a hasty and somewhat discreditable peace, which he con- 
cluded with France in 1795, and by which he resigned half of the 
Island of St. Domingo. 

Peter Pindar. — The assumed name of Dr. John Walcot, who 
wrote a number of humorous and satirical pieces in verse, chiefly 
directed against the king, George the Third, the court, and 
persons of eminence and celebrity. 

Peter the Hermit. — An enthusiastic monk of Amiens, who 
about the close of the eleventh century roused Europe to the first 
Crusade. He conceived the wild project of driving the Moham- 
medans from Jerusalem, and incessantly preached this project to 



218 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

all who would hear him. Peter succeeded in imparting his 
enthusiasm to others, and in a short time he led the way towards 
the Holy City, at the head of an undisciplined army of 300,000 
men. In the events which afterwards occurred, this extraor- 
dinary man displayed great personal courage ; and having 
witnessed the accomplishment of his undertaking, he returned to 
his native country, and founded the Abbey of Noirmoutier, and 
died its first superior. 

Petre, Father. — The ecclesiastical cognomen of Edward Petre, 
the chief representative of the Jesuits at the court of James the 
Second. He was taken into the closest confidence by the 
misguided monarch, and by his mischievous counsels bore the 
largest part in the ruin of the House of Stuart. 

Pilot that weathered the Storm.— The minister Pitt is thus 
alluded to in a celebrated political song, written in honour of his 
natal day, May 29, 1802, by his coadjutor, George Canning. 

Piombe, Sebastian del. — A Venetian painter of the sixteenth 
century, who afterwards settled at Eome, embraced a religious 
life, and was made keeper of the Papal seal. From this office 
he derived the cognomen Del Piombo, which referred to the lead 
around the seal. His real name was Luciano. 

Plon-plon. — A diminutive of "Napoleon," and used towards 
the members of that family in childhood as a term of endearment. 
It is now derisively applied to Prince Napoleon, cousin of the 
present emperor, who resembles Buonaparte in persona} appearance 
more nearly than any other descendant of the family. For this 
reason and for certain characteristic traits, he is called in banter 
Plon-plon, or a small ]STapoleon. 

Prester John. — Under this name a Christian prince is said 
to have reigned in the interior of Asia during the middle ages. 
Who Prester John really was it is not easy to decide, nor do any 
of the etymological explanations that have been proposed prove 
satisfactory. A ludicrous mistake on this subject was made by 
the Portuguese in the fifteenth century, who picked up a story of 
a Christian prince in the interior of Africa whose name was Ogan, 
and in consequence of the resemblance of the names Ogan and 



PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 219 

Ung Mian they transferred the throne of Prester John from Asia 
to Africa, and gave the name to the Abyssinian prince. 

Pretender. — The name given by the people of England to 
James Francis Edward Stuart, son of the deposed monarch James 
the Second, and who, on his father's death, was called by Louis 
the Fourth, James the Third, King of Great Britain, and in 
support of this claim to the British throne, attempted to invade 
England. The Young Pretender was the name given to Charles 
Edward, the son of the former ; he also attempted to make good 
his pretensions in England in 1745, but without success. He 
died without issue in 1765. His brother Henry, becoming a 
priest and afterwards cardinal, was the last descendant of an 
unfortunate and unhappy race of kings. 

Protestant Pope. — An epithet bestowed upon Clement the 
Fourteenth, who was raised to the pontificate in 1769. He owes 
the name given to him to the tolerance of his views, and the con- 
ciliatory spirit with which he treated those who differed from the 
Catholic faith, especially Englishmen. The great public event of 
his pontificate was the suppression of the order of Jesuits. 

Psalmanazar. — The assumed name of a man of letters who is 
chiefly known as a literary impostor. He was born in 1679, and 
for many years led the life of a wanderer and a vagrant. He at 
length hit upon the idea of adopting the character of a heathen 
native of the island of Formosa, and in order to support his pre- 
tensions, he contrived a new language which he called the For- 
mosan. He afterwards repaired to London, suffered himself to 
be converted to the Church of England, and was formally intro- 
duced to some of the bishops. A great interest was now created 
in his favour, and by the kindness of several gentlemen he was 
furnished with the means of studying at the Oxford University. 
Some persons, however, were not satisfied of the truth of the 
representations of the new convert. A controversy arose, and in 
a short time the imposture was made clearly manifest. Deserted 
by his former friends, Psalmanazar was allowed to make the best 
of his position ; he then became a writer for the booksellers, and 
in this employment continued till he died in 1763. 

Ramsay, Chevalier.— Andrew Michael Kanisay, frequently so 



220 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

styled. He was a Scotch historian, and political and moral phi- 
losophical writer. Died, 1743. 

Rene, Good King. — A monarch who governed between the 
years 1435 — 1444. He was nominally King of the Two Sicilies 
and Jerusalem, Duke of Anjou and Lorraine, and Count of 
Provence ; but in reality, Provence alone was in Rene's posses- 
sion. He was remarkable for his amicability and goodness, and 
displayed such kindness of heart and graciousness of demeanour 
as to win the hearts of all who approached him. He was an 
artist, poet, and musician, and was possessed of the greatest 
refinement and the most exquisite sensibilities. He was totally 
unfitted for rule, or to cope with the arts and hollowness ot 
courts. His life was one of misfortune, poverty, and neglect ; 
nevertheless, he preserved his innocence of heart and buoyancy 
of temper, and lived to a good old age in his beloved and sunny 
country of Provence. 

Eestorer of Cities. — Sancho the First, one of the early kings 
of Portugal, was so called by reason of his firmly establishing 
his kingdom, and devoting himself to its glory, security, and 
embellishment. 

Rob Roy.— A celebrated Highland chief, whose true name was 
Robert Macgregor, but who assumed that of Campbell, on account 
of the outlawry of the clan Macgregor by the Scotch Parliament 
in 1662. Like other Highland gentlemen, Rob Roy was a cattle 
owner previous to the rebellion of 1715, in which he joined the ad- 
herents of the Pretender. On the suppression of the rebellion, he 
involved himself in a quarrel with the Duke of Montrose, against 
whom he made war for the remainder of his life, and in numerous 
skirmishes and engagements displayed remarkable energy and 
courage. During the whole of the period he subsisted by levying 
black mail from his enemies, and he made himself dreaded in all 
the surrounding country. He died in 1743. 

Robinson, Prosperity. — The name given to Mr. Robinson, 
afterwards the Earl of Ripon. He was Chancellor of the Exche- 
quer in 1823, and on bringing forward his budget, adduced a 
greatly increased consumption since 1816, as a proof of the 
prosperity of the country. His facts were questioned by Mr. 



PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 221 

Joseph Hume, and from this controversy originated the above 
epithet. 

Rois Faineants.— A name given to the earliest race of Frank 
kings, the term signifying " do-nothing ; " for as these monarchs 
laid aside their ferocity, they became dull, luxurious, and indolent. 

Romans, Last of the.— Cato, commonly known as the Censor, 
of Rome, was so called. He made use of his severity, eloquence, 
and exemplary life, to give a check to the luxury and groAving 
vices of the Romans. 

Romans, King of the. — The son of Napoleon Buonaparte was 
styled King of Rome, which title originated from that of King of 
the Romans. The emperors of Germany, to bring in their sons 
as their successors, politically procured their election as King of 
the Romans, which was part of the sovereignty ; and on some 
occasions great efforts were made and large sums expended to 
achieve this end. 

Rome, Sword of. — A designation for Marcellus, a daring and 
active Roman leader, who frequently conquered the Carthagi- 
nians, and even Hannibal himself, but was at last surprised by 
an ambush, and slain. 

Roscius. — The term " a Roscius " is frequently employed to 
signify an actor of eminence. It was originally the name of a 
Roman actor, who excelled all others of his time, and who had 
the highest reputation among all classes of men. The celebrated 
Garrick was styled the British Roscius ; and Master Betty, who 
appeared in tragedy when but a boy, was called the Infant 
Roscius. 

Ross, Man of. — The name of the person who was celebrated 
by Pope as the " Man of Ross," was John Kyrle. He possessed 
a small estate at Ross, in Herefordshire, and literally became, as 
the poet sings, a blessing to the whole country. He died in 1724, 
at the age of ninety. 

Rowley, Old. — A nickname applied to Charles the Second ; 
supposed to be derived from Roland, in reference to the pro- 
verbial saying of " A Roland for an Oliver ;" the former name 
being given to Charles, in contradistinction to the Protector's 
name of Oliver. 



222 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

ItTimford, Count. — A person whose name was Thompson, 
a natural philosopher and philanthropist. He went into the 
service of Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria, introduced 
many excellent administrative reforms, and was created, by the 
Elector, Count Kumford, after the name of the place in the 
United States where he was born in 1752. 

Rupert of Debate. — An epithet applied to the present Earl 
of Derby ; so called, because, in debate, he is said to resemble 
Prince Rupert in war, who was energetic, impetuous, impatient 
of control and advice, endowed with great natural abilities, and 
possessing a quick perception. 

Sailor King. — The popular name of William the Fourth, of 
England, who, when Duke of Clarence, adopted the sea as a pro- 
fession, and served through the various grades of the royal navy. 

Saint Germain, Count de. — An adventurer, whose real name 
and family were never known. He was introduced to the French 
Court by the Marquis of Belle Isle, who had met him in 
Germany. He soon succeeded in winning the favour of the king, 
Louis the Fifteenth, and acquired riches and honours. After a 
long residence in France, he visited England, Italy, Hamburg, 
and the Court of Hesse-Cassel, and died at Schleswig in 1784. 
This mysterious man pretended to have lived for many centuries, 
and to have been on terms of familiarity with the most eminent 
personages of former times. He also gave out that he was in 
possession of all sorts of secrets. It is believed that the Count 
de St. Germain was a spy in the service of different ministers ; 
and this supposition accounts for his wealth and mystery 
According to some he was son of a Portuguese Jew ; others 
believed him to be a natural son of the King of Portugal. 

Sans Souci, Philosopher of. — A name sometimes applied to 
Frederick the Great, who upon every possible occasion withdrew 
to the beautiful palace of Sans Souci, near Potsdam, in order 
that he might pursue uninterrupted his literary and philoso- 
phical studies, for which he had a strong predilection. 

Saragoza, Maid of.— A young woman of humble station, who 
signalized herself by an act of great intrepidity at the siege of 
Saragoza in 1808. Having occasion to visit the battery with 



PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 223 

refreshments, she discovered all the gunners to be killed ; she 
snatched a match from the hand of a dead artilleryman, and 
served one of the guns herself. At the sight of this deed of 
daring, the Saragozans became inspired with renewed courage, 
they rushed forward to the battery, opened out a fresh fire upon 
the French, and continued it with such vigour as to repulse the 
enemy with fearful loss. 

Scipio Africanus. — Africanus was the agnomen bestowed upon 
Scipio, the famous Eoman general, who carried his conquests 
into Africa, gained a memorable victory over the Carthaginians, 
and upon his return home was honoured with a magnificent 
triumph, and received the surname of Africanus, to commemorate 
his achievements still further. 

Scourge of God.— A name given to Attila, king of the Huns, 
who ascended the throne in 433. He was so called on account 
of his whole career being one of invasion and rapine on neigh- 
bouring states. 

Sea Captains. — This name is given to those illustrious naval 
commanders who, about the time of Elizabeth, achieved conquests 
at sea, and otherwise contributed to England's maritime great- 
ness. The list comprises, Sir Francis Drake, the first Englishman 
who circumnavigated the globe ; Sir John Norris ; Martin 
Frobisher, who sailed towards the North Pole, and discovered 
the Straits which bear his name ; Sir John Hawkins ; Sir Walter 
Raleigh ; Captain Lancaster, who commenced the English trade 
to the East Indies; and Howard, who so effectually directed 
the ever-memorable defeat of the Armada. 

Sea Kings, or VMngs.— A name anciently given to the Northern 
pirates, who swarmed upon the ocean, and plundered every district 
to which they could approach. These bands of robbers established 
among themselves a law of equality ; each man was considered as 
good as his fellow, and they divided their booty in equal shares. 
They had an utter contempt for danger, and engaged in enter- 
prises of the greatest hazard with a determination to accomplish 
their end. They used their shields to carry their dead to the 
grave, for a shelter in bad weather, to swim on in danger, or to 
lock them in one another for a rampart. They despised the 



224 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

shelter of a roof, and the comforts of a home. Their sole object 
in life was plunder on the sea, and depredations on its shores, 
and they sometimes amassed so much booty, and enlisted so 
many followers, as to be enabled to assault provinces for perma- 
ment conquest. 

Semiramis of the Eorth. — A name given by historians to 
Margaret, Queen of Denmark and Norway, who ascended the 
throne in 1388, and in whose reign, ; Sweden was joined to 
Denmark and Norway as one kingdom. Margaret was dis- 
tinguished by many personal qualities of the highest excellence, 
and by a marked capacity for rule. 

Sentences, Master of. — Peter Lombard ; a scholastic theolo- 
gian was so called, born about 1100 in Lombardy ; died in 1164. 
There is extant from his pen a theological course of great repute, 
under the title of the " Four Books of Sentences," in which are 
collected the various opinions of the Fathers of the Church on 
each point in theology. This book has famished inexhaustible 
food for scholastic dispute, and has had a crowd of commentators. 

Seven Bishops. — These were the Bishops of St. Asaph, Bath 
and Wells, Ely, Chichester, Peterborough, London, and the 
Archbishop of Canterbury. They were confined in the Tower by 
James the Second, for refusing to read the "declaration for 
liberty of conscience " after service. Their cause was espoused 
by the whole population, and after a short imprisonment, they 
were liberated amidst public rejoicings. 

Seven Wise Men of Greece. — This name is commonly applied 
to seven philosophers, several of whom were legislators of an 
early period of Grecian history. They were, Periander of 
Corinth (in place of whom some give Epimenides of Crete), 
Pittacus of Mitylene, Thales, Solon, Bias, Chilo, and Cleobulus. 

Sharpe, Conversation. — Granville Sharpe, a learned and pious 
man. He was critically conversant with the Greek and Hebrew 
languages ; and as his name implies, distinguished himself by his 
colloquial talent. 

Shepherd Kings. — The name given to certain monarchs belong- 
ing to an early period of Egyptian history. They were probably 
the leaders of the wandering tribes on the frontiers of Egypt 



PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 225 

who made incursions into the fertile valley of the Nile, as soon as 
the inhabitants of that region had settled themselves in perma- 
nent communities. 

Son of Heaven, Brother of the Moon, etc.— These extrava- 
gant titles are assumed by the Emperor of China, implying that 
he is absolute lord, not only of China, but of the whole world — 
representative and vicegerent of the Deity, who centres within 
himself all earthly power and greatness. The vast extent of the 
Chinese empire favours such an illusion ; and the ignorance and 
superstition of the people encourage the belief. 

Spartan Lawgiver.— The name given to Lycurgus, regent of 
Lacedsemon, about 850 B.C. The legislation of Lycurgus aimed 
at ensuring the continuance of Sparta as a dominant military 
caste, by perpetuating a race of athletic and warlike citizens. 
Consequently his laws referred rather to domestic life and phy- 
sical education than to the constitution of the state or the forms 
of government. 

Stanhope, Citizen.— A title assumed by the Earl of Stanhope, 
who was an ardent supporter of the principles of the French 
Revolution ; he laid aside his rank, and openly avowed republican 
sentiments. Died in 1816. 

Stenny or Steenie— The familiar name by which James the 
First addressed his favourite, the Duke of Buckingham. 

Stewart, Walking.— John Stewart, born in London, 1763, was 
commonly so called. He was sent as a writer to Madras, but 
disliking his employment he left, and set out upon his travels on 
foot. He walked through part of Hindostan, visited Delhi, 
Persepolis, and other parts of Persia. He then went to the 
Carnatic, and entered the service of the Nawaub. 

Strongbow.— The Earl of Pembroke, so named, who in 1169, 
crossed over to Ireland at the head of an army of adventurers, 
with the avowed object of restoring Dermot, King of Leinster, to 
his throne. Dermot dying, Strongbow assumed possession of the 
crown, but after reigning a year he returned to England and 
submitted to the king. 

Stuart, Athenian.— An epithet given to James Stuart, a 

i 



226 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

celebrated traveller and delineator of Athenian architecture, on 
which subject he published an invaluable work. Died 1788. 

Sword of God. — A title conferred upon one of Mahomet's 
bravest captains named Caled. He had at first taken part against 
the Prophet, and mainly contributed to his defeat at Ohod. He 
afterwards embraced the new religion, and was chiefly instru- 
mental in the conquest of Syria. 

Taylor the "Water Poet. — An English poetical writer of the 
seventeenth century, who, being a London waterman, obtained 
his living during a part of his poetical existence by rowing on the 
Thames. He was afterwards in the habit of taking long trips in 
a small boat up the Thames and other rivers of England, and 
describing in rhyme the manner of his passages, and the various 
objects he had seen. 

Thaddeus of Warsaw. — The national appellation of Thaddeus 
Kosciusko, the celebrated Polish general, who died in exile in 
1817. He received his name for the gallant and desperate resist- 
ance he made at Warsaw, against the combined armies of Russia 
and Prussia, whose numerical strength was thrice that of his own 
forces. At this encounter he was wounded and taken prisoner ; 
the Poles were routed, and Poland ceased to exist as a kingdom. 

Timon the Misanthrope. — An Athenian, who lived some time 
before the Peloponnesian War. After experiencing the falseness 
and ingratitude of mankind, he withdrew altogether from society 
and went to live in solitude ; or, if he occasionally returned to 
Athens, it was by a cruel irony to applaud the errors and follies 
of his fellow- citizens. His death was worthy the latter part of 
his life ; he fell, broke his leg, and carried his aversion to men so 
far, as to refuse all aid. 

Timour the Tartar. — A celebrated Tartar chief, who lived 
towards the latter part of the fourteenth century, and who distin- 
guished himself by courage and talent of the highest order. He 
conquered the whole of Western Asia, excepting China, and 
penetrated farther into India than Alexander. 

Tubal Cain. — A Scriptural name distinguishing an eminent 
artificer in brass and iron, or an instructor in that art. 



PERSONAL EPITHETS, SURNAMES, ETC. 227 

Turnip Hoer. — A nickname which the adherents of the Stuarts 
gave to George the First of England. It was said that when his 
Majesty first came to England, he talked of turning St. James's 
Park into a turnip-field. The grovelling nature of this monarch, 
his utter want of taste, and his indifference to the happiness of 
the people whom he was called to rule, favour this assertion. 

Veronese, Paul. — The name by which Paul Cagliari, an 
eminent painter, is best known. He was so called from Verona, 
where he was born about 1530. 

Virgin dneen. — Queen Elizabeth of England, who, when 
marriage was proposed to her, declared that she would live and 
die a " virgin queen." 

Weeping Philosopher.— An epithet given to Heraclitus, the 
founder of a philosophic sect ; he was born at Ephesus, 500 B.C. 
He is reported to have been so concerned for the follies of man- 
kind, as to have wept immoderately ; and determining to mingle 
no more with his own species, he withdrew into ' the mountains, 
and subsisted upon roots and herbs. 

William of Malmesfenry — An historian of the early English 
period, whose chronicles are held in the highest esteem for their 
remarkable truth and fidelity. Born about 1095 ; died about 1143. 

Witch Finder. — An infamous character, named Hopkins, who, 
in the reigns of James the First and Charles the First, pretended 
to extraordinary powers in the art of detecting those who .were 
guilty of sorcery. For each of his convictions he was allowed a 
handsome reward ; and he perambulated the country as the accre- 
dited agent of Government, preferring indiscriminate accusations, 
especially against the aged, the helpless, and the infirm. His 
deeds became at length so notorious, that he was suspected by 
his employers, and in the end drew upon himself that punishment 
which his crimes deserved. 

Yvetot, King of.— Yvetot is a town in France, near Rouen. 
It was formerly the capital of a lordship, the possessors of which, 
in the middle ages, had the title of King ; and it has been affirmed 
that they were in their own little territory really independent 
sovereigns. The title of " King of Yvetot " has been employed 
by the French satirists in their attacks upon the rulers of France. 

I 2 



228 THE HISTORICAL PINGEK-POST : 



SECTIOIT ZXVII. 

NATIONAL EPITHETS, POLITICAL, CLASSICAL, |; AND 
LOCAL ALLUSIONS, etc. 

Albion.— England was so named by the Greeks ; the word in 
the Phoenician tongue signifying either white or high mountains, 
from the whiteness of its shores, or the highjrocks on the^western 
coast. 

Alpha and Omega. —These being the first and last letters in 
the Greek alphabet are designed in the Divine writings to signify 
the beginning and end of all things ; and in the early ages, these 
two letters were made the symbol of Christianity, and engraved 
on the tombs of Christians to distinguish them from those of 
idolaters. 

Alter Ego.—" My other self," a formula used in the chancery 
of the kingdom of Sicily, whereby the king intrusted to a commis- 
sion the full exercise of all the powers and prerogatives of royalty- 

Antichrist.— A name given by St. Paul, by way of distinction, to 
the "man of sin and son of perdition," i.e. a great tyrant and adver- 
sary to Christianity, who is to reign on earth towards the end of 
the world. Among many Protestant writers, the Pope is treated 
as the Antichrist. 

As soon as a Slave sets foot on English Territory lie 
becomes Free. — This important legal axiom was laid down by 
Lord Mansfield, when delivering his judgment in favour of the 
negro Somerset, whose case was tried in the Court of King's 
Bench, 1772. Somerset was claimed by his owner, from whom he- 
had fled, and sought protection in England. 

Athens, Modern.— An epithet applied to the city of Edinburgh,, 
and conferred upon it on account of the resemblance it bears to- 
ancient Athens. 



NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 229 

Bear the Bell. — A little golden bell was the reward of victoiy 
in 1607 at the York races ; whence arose the phrase to " bear 
away the bell," in allusion to being eminently successful, or 
outstripping every other competitor. 

Bell the Cat.— A sobriquet of Archibald Douglas, fifth Earl of 
Angus, which originated as follows :— In 1482, the Scotch nobles 
resolved to get rid of the court minions of James the Third. 
When they met to decide on measures, Lord Gray related the 
fable of the mice who proposed to protect themselves from the 
cat by hanging a bell round his neck. " Who then," said his 
lordship, " is to bell the cat ? " "I will," replied Archibald 
Douglas. The promise was duly executed, the favourites were 
secured, and were hanged over the bridge of Lauder. Hence 
the term of " bell the cat " came to signify the performance of 
an ungracious and perilous service. 

Britain. — The etymology of this word is " the country of tin,"' 
as there were great quantities of that metal found on the adjacent; 
islands. 

Britannia. — This name was given to the island of Britain by. 
the Eomans. The country is personified on their medals under 
the figure of a female, resting her left arm on a shield. 

British Dominions, the Sun never sets on the.— A saying 
indicative of the British possessions being so vast and extensive 
that the sun, in its diurnal motion, is always shining upon one 
portion or the other. 

Brother Jonathan.— A nickname for the United States of 
America ; it is said to have originated as follows : — When 
General Washington was in command of the revolutionary army r 
he was in the habit of consulting the then governor of the State; 
of Connecticut, named Jonathan Trumbull, and when any diffi- 
culty arose, the general was accustomed to say " We must con- 
sult Brother Jonathan ;" and this soon became a by- word, and 
eventually an adopted name. 

Brown Bess. — The name given to the musket borne by the 
English foot-soldiers previously to the introduction of the rifle ■ 
it was ridiculed for its inefficiency, which was rendered more 
glaringly apparent during the Crimean war. 



230 THE HISTOKICAL FINGER-POST : 

Bucephalus. — A. famous horse belonging to Alexander the 
Great, by whom he was purchased for the sum of 13 talents, 
about £2500. This steed, previous to passing into the possession 
of Alexander, was notoriously unmanageable, and would not 
obey any rider ; but immediately his new master offered to 
mount him, he willingly submitted to his guidance, and was 
as docile as he had before been vicious. Alexander, from this 
circumstance, conceived such an affection for him, that he never 
rode upon any other horse ; and Bucephalus, when caparisoned 
for battle, would endure no other rider. He died of a wound, 
and Alexander caused him to be buried near the Hydaspes, and 
built over his grave a city, which he called Bucepala. 

Burleigh Eo&. — A habit said to be peculiar to Lord Burleigh, 
treasurer to Queen Elizabeth, who signified assent or evaded 
argument by simply nodding his head. 

Caesar's Wife above Suspicion. — This proverb is accounted 
for as follows : — The name of Pompeia, the wife of Julius Caesar, 
having been mixed up with an accusation against P. Clodius, 
a profligate patrician, her husband divorced her ; not, he said, 
because he believed the charge against her, but because he 
would have those belonging to him as free from suspicion as 
from crime. 

Caledonia. — The ancient name of Scotland. The termination 
ia signifies a country, and was added by the Romans. Caledon 
signifies probably the hill or town of the Gaels or Caels, the 
primitive inhabitants. 

Calemboiirg. — A French expression equivalent to the English 
word pun. It took its name from a certain Westphalian, Count 
Calemberg, who visited Paris in the reign of Louis the Fifteenth, 
and became notorious for the blunders he committed in the 
French language. 

Caligula's Horse. — An animal rendered celebrated in history 
for the extravagant kindness and care lavished upon him by his 
owner Caligula, the Roman emperor. This horse was named 
Incitatus ; a marble stable was built for him with an ivory 
manger ; and there were appointed to him a house, furniture, 
Sometimes he was invited to the Emperor's table ; 



NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 231 

and it is said that Caligula would have appointed him to the 
consulship, had he not been prevented by death. 

Cambria. — The name which the Romans gave to Wales. 

Canterbury Tale. — A term implying any fabulous or exagge- 
rated narrative : so called from the " Canterbury Tales " of Chaucer. 

Catching a Tartar. — This phrase is said to have originated 
as follows : — An Irish soldier, under Prince Eugene, called out 
to his comrade, in a battle against the Turks, that he had caught 
a Tartar. " Bring him along then," said the other. " He won't 
come," was the reply. " Then come yourself." " But he won't let 
me," was the answer. 

Caucus. — A word used in the United States of America to 
denote a meeting held by a political party for the purpose of secu- 
ring the election of candidates for any office, or for the purpose 
of carrying any measure in a general meeting. The name origi- 
nated in a dispute which occurred at Boston between a party of 
English soldiers and some Caulkers of the town, and for the set- 
tlement of which numerous meetings were held, called " Caulkers' 
Meetings," an expression soon corrupted to " Caucus." 

Christendom.— The whole Christian world. Literally " Christ's 
kingdom." 

Church Militant. — From militans, fighting : a term applied to 
the Church of Christ on earth, being still engaged in warfare with 
sin. The Romanists divide the Church into militant, patient, 
and triumphant : the militant is on earth ; the patient or passive, 
they place in purgatory ; and the triumphant in heaven. 

Cocker, According to. — A phrase which has allusion to one 
Edward Cocker, who is said to have taught the arts of writing 
and arithmetic with remarkable success. In 1660 he published 
" The Pen's Transcendancy" as a proof of his skill in the ,art of 
penmanship. 

Coffee-House Politician. — From the reign of Charles the 
Second down to that of George the First, the Coffee-House 
became a species of institution in England. The dearth of 
newspapers, and the difficulty of obtaining accurate information 
of the current events of the day, led persons of all ranks to resort 
to coffee-houses for the purpose of obtaining the news, and taking 



232 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

part in or listening to political discussions. Each coffee-house, 
therefore, had its regular frequenters, who were associated by 
uniform political sentiments ; and among these frequenters were 
one or more orators, to whose eloquence the crowd listened with 
admiration, and who soon became what the journalists are in our 
own day. So great was the influence which coffee-houses exer- 
cised upon party, that an attempt was made by the Government 
to close them, but was abandoned owing to the universal outcry 
that was raised. 

Colophon, Putting to it.— The cavalry of the city of Colophon 
in Asia Minor was so excellent, that it was thought to ensure the 
victory to the side on which it fought. Another author explaining 
this expression, says that, in the council of the twelve Ionian 
cities, Colophon had the casting vote. In either case, the 
meaning is, to put the finishing or decisive touch to anything. 
In the, early periods of printing, before the introduction of title- 
pages, the Colophon represented the final paragraph of a volume, 
which generally combined the printer's name, the date, &c. 

Columbus and the Egg.— This famous story is as follows : — 
Dining, on his return from his first voyage, with a party of 
courtiers who had rallied him on the ease with which such 
discoveries as his might be achieved, Columbus, taking an egg 
from one of the dishes on the table, challenged any one of the 
company to make it stand on its smaller end. They tried in vain 
and gave up the attempt. The great navigator performed it by 
breaking the lower part of the shell. " We could have done the 
same," cried they. " Yes," replied Columbus, " but not before I 
showed you how." 

Cote Droit, Cote' Gauche.— The names given to the two great 
divisions of the Chamber of Deputies, or French representative 
assembly. The former take their seats on the right of the 
President's chair, and espouse the royalist or monarchical cause ; 
the latter are seated to the left of the President's chair, and 
profess popular or liberal sentiments. 

Cousin, Our Trusty and Well-beloved.— This appellation is 
used by the sovereign when he has occasion to mention a peer of 
high degree in any public instrument. The custom is traced to 



NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 233 

Henry the Fourth, who being either by his wife, his mother, or 
his sisters, actually related or allied to every earl in the kingdom, 
artfully acknowledged that connection in all his letters and 
public acts. 

Croesus, as Rich as. — Croesus was the last king of Lydia, 
560 B.C. He was proverbially celebrated for his vast wealth. 
His votive gifts to the oracle of Delphi prove at once his 
munificence and opulence. These offerings consist of 117 
large tiles of gold, the statue of a lion of pure gold, two large 
cisterns — one of gold, the other of silver — and a female figure of 
gold four and a half feet high. 

Bacian. — A native of Dacia ; the ancient name of a country 
north of the Danube, and south of Sarmatia. 

Damocles, Sword of. — A figurative expression conveying the 
idea of imminent danger, which may happen to a person in the 
moment of fancied security, enjoyment, or power. The origin of 
this phrase is as follows :— Damocles, one of the flatterers of 
Dionysius the Elder, of Sicily, openly admired the tyrant's wealth 
and pronounced him the happiest man living. Dionysius there- 
upon prevailed on Damocles to assume for a while the sovereign 
power, and thus convince himself of regal happiness. Damocles 
ascended the throne, and gazed with pleasure on the wealth and 
splendour by which he was surrounded, but in the midst of it, he 
perceived a sword hanging over his head by a horsehair : at the 
sight of this, all his imaginary felicity vanished, and he begged of 
Dionysius to remove him from a position of so much hazard and 
danger. 

Damon and Pythias, Friendship of.— These two persons 
were subjects of Dionysius the Elder, of Syracuse, and were 
remarkable for the inviolable attachment which subsisted between 
them. One of them being condemned to die by the tyrant, 
petitioned for permission to journey a distance, to settle his 
affairs, leaving his friend as a hostage. The day fixed for his 
return approached, and the people awaited the result with 
curiosity ; the hostage, however, expressed his conviction that 
his friend would return at the appointed time, and so he did 
to the very hour. The tyrant, softened by an instance of such 



234 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

strict fidelity, revoked his decree of condemnation, and desired 
to be admitted a third into their friendship. 

De Conrcy Privilege. — This privilege is an hereditary one 
in the family of the De Courcys, or Earls of Kinsale. It 
consists of standing before the sovereign covered, and was 
granted by King John in 1203 ; in consequence of one of that 
family having vanquished a foreign knight, who had challenged 
every court in Europe, and up to that period had carried off 
every laurel. 

Delicate Investigation. — The term applied to the inquiry 
instituted into the conduct of Caroline, queen of George the 
Fourth, commencing September 20th, 1806. 

Diamond Eecklace Affair. — Cardinal Eohan was persuaded 
by certain intriguers, that he would secure the good graces of 
Queen Marie Antoinette, by purchasing for her a magnificent 
diamond necklace, which that princess had previously refused 
as being too high in price. Eohan bought it, and put it into the 
hands of rogues, who made him believe that it had been accepted 
by the Queen ; but as he was unable to. pay the enormous sum 
(£80,000) that the jew^l cost, the affair became noised about 
and reached the ears of the king, who had the Cardinal arrested 
and brought to trial. He was exiled, but after a time allowed 
to return to his diocese. 

Divine Eight of Kings to govern wrong. — The claim 
thus set up on behalf of royalty is very old, and its precise 
origin cannot be determined. In the sixteenth century, modern 
royalty had assumed throughout Europe that form and consistency 
which immediately led to the promulgation of " Divine Eight." 
In England, it made considerable progress under the Tudor 
dynasty, as it did in France under the latter princes of the 
House of Valois. But it was under the fostering hands of the 
Stuarts in England, and the three first Bourbon kings in France, 
that it reached its highest elevation in the political firmament. 
From the date of the execution of Charles the First, the sentiment 
of " Divine Eight " as applied to European sovereigns has ceased 
to be acknowledged. 

Doves. — A term of derision applied to the members of the Peace 



NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 235 

Society, who employed themselves upon missions of peace, 
and thus resembled the dove of Noah's Ark. 

Duke Humphrey, Dining with. — This saying is said to be in 
allusion to persons who, instead of making a meal, used to walk 
in St. Paul's Church during dinner-time ; Humphrey, Duke of 
Gloucester, being a man of great hospitality, and supposed to 
have been buried in St. Paul's. 

Erin. — The Irish name of Ireland. 

Every Man has his Price. — A political axiom enunciated by 
Sir Robert Walpole, the celebrated statesman, implying that 
there existed no such thing as political honesty or patriotism, 
and that the voice and interest of every person may be purchased 
either for money, place, or some other consideration. 

Fabian Policy. — A term signifying those peculiar tactics in 
military, political, or other affairs, by which advantage is sought 
to be gained by delay and temporising. The origin of the term 
is from Fabius Maximus, a Roman general, who gained an im- 
portant victory by declining to risk a battle in the open field, but 
harassing the enemy by marches, countermarches, and ambuscades. 

Faith, Defender of the. — A title conferred by Pope Leo 
the Tenth upon Henry the Eighth, for writing against Luther ; 
and since borne by every English monarch. 

Falernian. — A wine so called by the Romans from Falernum, 
situated between Sinuessa and Calene ; it was valued as the second 
best wine in Italy. 

Fourth Estate. — The constitution of England is composed of 
three estates, king, lords, and commons. The term fourth estate 
is popularly conceded to the newspaper press generally ; the in- 
fluence it exercises for the public good, and upon the councils of 
the nation, rendering it a distinct power or estate. 

Gallic Neighbour. — A term by which England indicates France. 

Gasconade. — A French term signifying immoderate boasting 
of wit, wealth, or valour. The word has its origin in the in- 
habitants of the ancient province of Gascony, in France, who 
were said to be addicted to this exaggerated and extravagant 
kind of talk. The following will serve as illustrations : — A 
Gascon officer hearing some one celebrating the exploits of a 



236 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

prince who, in two assaults upon a town, had killed six men with 
his own hand, "Bah!" said he, " I would have you know that 
the very mattresses I sleep upon are stuffed with nothing else 
but the whiskers of those whom I have sent to slumber in the 
other world !" Again, a Gascon, in proof of his nobility, asserted 
that in his father's castle they used no other firewood than the 
batons of the different mareschals of France of his family. 

Gauntlet, Throwing down the.— The gauntlet was a large 
iron glove with fingers covered with small plates, formerly worn 
by cavaliers, and which used to be thrown down in token of 
challenge. Hence to thrown down the gauntlet signifies figuratively 
to challenge ; and to take up the gauntlet is to accept the challenge. 

Godwin's Oath. — This is used in allusion to the taking of a 
voluntary or intemperate oath, or making violent protestations, 
and originated as follows : — Godwin, brother of Edward the 
Confessor, was tried for the murder of Prince Alfred, his brother, 
and pardoned, but died at the king's table while protesting with 
oaths his innocence of the murder ; the historians of those times 
assert that he was choked with a piece of bread which he prayed 
might stick in his throat if he were guilty of the murder. 

Good Old Times. — A term referring indefinitely to some 
former period, when a happier state of things is supposed to 
have existed than at present. The phrase had, however, a special 
signification in the time of Cromwell, it being used by the 
royalists as a convenient pledge, which, while being understood 
among themselves, could be made to apply to a remoter period 
than the Stuarts. 

Gordian Knot. — Gordius, one of the early kings of Phrygia, is 
said to have ascended from the plough to the throne. It is 
related that, one day while he was ploughing, an eagle perched 
upon the yoke of his oxen, and remained there the whole day. This 
remarkable circumstance induced him to consult the oracle, and 
the answer was, that he would one clay be elevated to the throne. 
Some time after this, a sedition broke out in Phrygia ; the people 
consulted the oracle as to the choice of a king, and were directed 
to choose the first man who passed the temple of Jupiter in an 
ox-cart : this happened to be Gordius, who was, therefore, im- 



NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 237 

mediately crowned king of Phrygia. To commemorate his 
elevation, Gordius consecrated his cart in the temple. He 
fastened a knot to the beam of the cart soTdexterously involved 
and complicated, that the oracles promised the dominion of the 
world to the man who should untie it. Great numbers attempted 
this in vain ; at last came Alexander, and cut it through with his 
sword. Hence, " to cut the Gordian knot " is to overcome 
obstacles by taking summary action. 

Gorham Controversy.— The Rev. G. C/f Gorham, for his 
opinion on baptismal regeneration, was refused admission to the 
living of Bamford Speke by the Bishop of Exeter ; proceedings 
were instituted, and the decision given against him. This was 
reversed by the Privy Council in 1850. The bishop endeavoured 
to upset this decision, but was unsuccessful, and was compelled 
to admit Mr. Gorham to his living. Mr. Gorham died in 1857. 

Great Powers of Europe.— A term of modern diplomacy, by 
which are meant England, France, Austria, Russia, and Prussia, 
and latterly Italy. 

Greek Calends. — A phrase referring to a time that will never 
•come. The Greeks, in their division of the month, had no 
calends, these being used by the Romans only ; hence, the 
allusion. 

Heroes. — Among the Greeks and Romans, demi-gods, or 
persons whose nature was supposed to be partly human and 
partly divine ; and who, though mortal, had a kind of immortality 
conferred upon them by being placed after death among- the 
gods. 

Hibemia. — The ancient name of Ireland, first so called by 
Julius Caesar. It is derived by some, from liibernum tempus 
{winter time), because in that season the nights are long there. 
But it appears more probable that it has been derived from Erin, 
the name given to the island by the original inhabitants. 

Ilk. — An epithet still retained in Scotland and some parts of 
the North of England. It denotes the clan of the same name, as 
•" Macleod of that ilk" meaning a gentleman whose surname and 
title of his estate are the same, as " Macleod of Macleod." 

Jean Crapaud. — A nickname for Frenchmen collectively. Tlje 



238 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

origin of the term is traced to the circumstance of three frogs 
(crapauds) being the ancient arms of France. 

Jolui Bull. — A nickname for an Englishman and for the 
English nation. The origin of this term is traced to a satire 
written in the time of Queen Anne, by Dr. Arbuthnot, entitled 
the History of John Bull. The object of the satire was to throw 
ridicule on the politics of the Spanish succession. John Bull is the 
Englishman ; the frog is the Dutchman ; and Charles the Second 
of Spain, and Louis the Fourteenth of France, are called Lord 
Strut and Louis Baboon. 

John Company. — An eccentric title given to the East India 
Company. 

Juste Milieu. — A term commonly employed in connection 
with European politics, and signifying that system which is as 
equally removed from a blind adherence to the past, as it is from 
an undue haste in adopting changes. It is regarded by its 
advocates as the height of wisdom, while its antagonists denounce 
it as a cowardly compromise between right and wrong. 

Kentish Fire. — A peculiar manner of expressing applause, 
consisting of cheers, hurrahs, or clapping hands, given with 
precision and in regular order. The Earl of Winchelsea, about 
the year 1834, attended a monster meeting in Dublin of Pro- 
testants, who met to consider the then political state in which 
the kingdom was placed, and a mode of expressing applause was 
invented in honour of the earl, whose principal estates lay in 
the county of Kent. 

King Ad, Old as. — Lokman, a celebrated king of the Adites, 
an Arabian tribe, is said to have lived to the age of seven vultures. 
The name of Ad came therefore to mean among the Arabs any- 
thing of extreme antiquity, and the proverb has passed into other 
countries. 

King can do no Wrong.— This pernicious sentiment was uttered 
by Anaxarchus, a Greek philosopher, with a view of reconciling Alex- 
ander the Great to the crime committed by him in killing Clitus. 

King de Jure and King de Facto. — Terms employed in 
allusion to a king by right (dejure) and by possession {de facto). 
Thus, although Charles the Second of England did not become 



NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 239 

king de facto till the 29th. of May, 1660, he was king dejure from 
the death of his father, 30th January, 1648 ; so that the year of 
his restoration is called the twelfth of his reign. This was de- 
cided under an opinion of the judges. 

Knight winning Ms SpTttrs. — Anciently, the difference be- 
tween the knight and the esquire was, that the knight wore gilt 
spurs and the esquire silver ones. Hence the phrase " winning 
his spurs," implying the performance of some chivalric action, 
which entitled the performer to wear the spurs of a knight. 

Laconism. — A brief sententious phrase or expression, so called 
because it was the mode adopted by the Lacedaemonians. 

Last Argument of Kings. — Cannon is thus alluded to ; a 
Latin motto to this effect being engraved on the French cannon 
by order of Louis the Fourteenth. 

Lettres de Cachet. — The name given to secret warrants, 
which were put in force in France during the eighteenth century, 
and by means of which the king or his minister could have 
anybody arrested and imprisoned, and even banished, without 
assigning any reason for the outrage. They originated, it is said, 
with the Capuchin, Pere Joseph, in the time of Richelieu. It 
was the custom to place a number of these warrants in the hands 
of the chief of the Parisian police, who filled up the blanks as 
occasion required. 

Levee-en-Masse. — A military expression for the rising of a 
whole people, including all capable of bearing arms, who are not 
otherwise engaged in the regular service. 

Liberia. — The name which, in 1824, was given to the territory 
purchased by the American Colonization Society, on the western 
coast of Africa. 

Liberty of Conscience. — The name of an insidious declaration 
promulgated by James the Second, ostensibly for the purpose of 
conciliating the Nonconformist Dissenters, but really with a view 
of promoting the interests of the Catholics. 

Magnificent Distances, City of. — An epithet applied to 
Washington, United States, which is a great city rather in plan 
and prospect than in fact. It is artificially laid out in a ro- 
mantic situation. The plan of the city consists of straight streets 



240 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

of considerable width, crossing each other at right angles ; but to 
break the sameness and formal appearance of such an arrange- 
ment, diagonal streets or avenues are constructed, leading from one 
national edifice to another. Public buildings and establishments- 
have been erected in different localities, and these have drawn 
around them a number of residences, while the intermediate 
spaces are unoccupied. Thus one town is collected round the 
President's house, another round the Capitol, a third round the 
navy-yard, each of which is about a mile distant from the 
other. 

Majesty of the People. — A celebrated toast proposed by the 
Duke of Norfolk, at a public entertainment in 1798 in these 
terms, " Our sovereign's health— the majesty of the people." For 
this, the duke was deprived of his offices, and disgraced. And for 
repeating this toast upon a subsequent occasion, Fox was struck 
out of the list of Privy Councillors. 

Maiilian Order. — Titus Manlius, Consul of Rome, put his own 
son to death for having engaged in single combat against one of 
the enemy contrary to his orders. Hence, any edict or order 
unnaturally severe is termed a " Manlian Order." 

Marriage by Proxy. — Among sovereigns and princes, a 
marriage has been sometimes concluded through the medium of a 
deputy or proxy, on behalf of one of the contracting parties. In 
this peculiar betrothal, it was formerly the custom for the proxy 
to introduce his right leg up to the knee into the bed of the 
princess whom he married. The object of the ceremony was to 
render the marriage more certain ; it being supposed that the 
princess who had submitted to this kind of approach on the part 
of man, could not depart from her engagement and take another 
husband. 

Milesian. — A native of Ireland is so called, such being the 
name of the people who originally invaded that country. 

Napoleon, Dotations of. — Gifts from the national domains, 
which Napoleon bestowed on his generals in the countries which 
he conquered. 

Nation of Shopkeepers.— A name which Napoleon Bonaparte 
applied by way of contempt to England ; intending thereby to 



NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 241 

undervalue her military genius, and to impute to her a grovelling 
predilection for commercial pursuits. 

Needy Knifegrinder — The hero of one of George Canning's 
political squibs, written in mock heroics, and published in the 
Anti-Jacobin. It was aimed at a political association known as- 
the " Friends of the People," which undertook to redress the social 
and political wrongs of the lower classes. 

Nepotism. — A word used in the languages of the European 
continent to signify, originally, the undue patronage bestowed by 
the Popes upon their younger relatives (nepotes) by appoint- 
ing them to high offices in the church, or making them important 
grants. It was not uncommon for a Pope, when elected, to 
elevate his whole family, so that ever after, the family belonged 
to the richest nobility in Rome. The term has been latterly used 
in a more general sense, to denote any patronage bestowed in 
consideration of family connection and not of merit. 

Nero Fiddling while Home was Burning. — The burning of 
the greater part of the city of Eome took place in the year 62 a.d„ 
It began in a shop filled with combustibles, and spread with 
unexampled rapidity. After raging for six days, the flames were 
stopped at the foot of the Esquiline Hill. The emperor Nero 
was suspected of being the author of this conflagration. He was 
at Antium when it broke out, and is said to have mounted the 
stage of his private theatre, and to have amused himself by 
singing the destruction of Troy. 

New Zealander, Macanlay's.— This refers to a conception of 
Lord Macaulay's in his History of England, and which fore- 
shadows that at a distant day, when the glories and power 
of England have departed, " Some solitary traveller from New 
Zealand shall take his stand upon a broken arch of London 
Bridge, to sketch the ruins of St. Paul's." 

NinnacilS, To weep like. — Ninnacus is the first king of Phrygia 
of whom any account is preserved. He is said to have lived to 
an extreme old age, and upon consulting the oracle as to how 
much longer his life was to last, was answered that at his death 
all things should perish. On receiving this intelligence he im- 
mediately repaired to the temple accompanied by the chief persons 



242 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

among his subjects. They uttered the most lamentable cries and 
groans to procure a change of this awful decree. From this 
circumstance originated the expression " to weep like Ninnacus." 

No Bishop, no King. — The Puritans of the time of James the 
First, petitioned that monarch to purify the tenets and reform the 
ceremonies of the Established Church ; they particularly objected 
to recognise the ecclesiastical government as constituted. James 
appointed a conference to be held between the Puritans and the 
Episcopalians, at which he himself presided. In the course of 
this conference he displayed his prejudice against the Puritan 
cause by repeatedly exclaiming " No bishop, no king," and at 
length peremptorily ordered the petitioners to withdraw. 

Ogygian. — A term applied to traditions of the primitive world, 
or to events which happened at the remotest periods. So called 
from Ogyges, king of Bceotia, in whose time, 1764 B.C., a memo- 
rable flood desolated that country. 

Pale, Within the. — A phrase which, in connection with Irish 
history, is applied to that portion of Ireland to which for some 
centuries after its invasion by the English under Henry the 
Second in 1172, the dominion of the latter was confined. The 
limits of the pale seldom extended beyond the modern province 
of Leinster, and were frequently much less considerable. 

Parthian Treachery. — The Parthians were looked upon by the 
Romans as peculiarly faithless, and in that respect occupied the 
same place in their estimation that the Carthaginians had formerly 
done. 

Partington, Mrs., and her Mop.— This phrase is made use of 
to express stupendous toil and effort thrown away. It originates 
in an anecdote related by Sydney Smith byway of illustrating the 
attempt of the House of Lords to stop the progress of Reform 
in 1831. Mrs. Partington resided on the sea-shore at Sidmouth, 
and upon the occasion of an inundation from the sea which visited 
that town, she endeavoured to stay the flood from the ocean by 
mopping it up. 

Pasquinade. — A satirical kind of libel so named from one 
Pasquin, a cobbler at Rome, who was celebrated for his method 
of representing the actions of public or private persons in a 



NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 243 

ludicrous or unfavourable light. Upon his decease, the maimed 
statue of a gladiator which had been found in his house was set 
up at a corner near his shop, and called after him, Pasquin ; and 
from that time it became customary for those who indulged in 
satirical writings to affix them to this figure, whence they received 
the name of Pasquinades. They were sometimes answered by 
another statue called Marfario. 

Philip Drunk and Philip Sober. — This phrase has reference 
to Philip of Macedon, who, when under the effects of wine, un- 
justly condemned a woman who appealed from his judgment. " To 
whom, then, do you appeal?" said the enraged king. "From 
Philip," she replied, " drunk and slumbering, to Philip sober and 
wakeful." 

Philippic. — A term originating in an oration of Demosthenes, 
the Grecian orator, against Philip, king of Macedon ; hence 
applied to any discourse or harangue deeply imbued with satirical 
allusion or acrimonious invective. 

Pinch of Curry. — At a time of great scarcity in England, the 
Duke of Norfolk suggested that the poor should mix " a pinch of 
curry " with their food for the purpose of eking it out, and im- 
parting a relish ; the remedy suggested was considered so incon- 
sequential and impracticable as to excite a considerable degree of 
ridicule. 

Pouring Oil on the Troubled Waters.— This phrase is employed 
as an equivalent for the efforts made to restore peace and harmony 
where dissension prevails ; to adjust quarrels ; to still the angry 
passions. There is an anecdote of Franklin stilling the sea, to 
the astonishment of the uninitiated, by stretching his cane over 
the side of the ship, the cane having a small phial of oil in the 
end of it ; and other experiments of a similar nature are said to 
have been tried with a like result. But a contrary conclusion has 
been arrived at from an experiment made by a commission of 
the Royal Institute of the Pays Bas in 1844, when several gallons 
of oil were poured upon the restless waves without having the 
effect of diminishing their motion. The popular belief, however, 
still prevails, as is shown by the frequent recurrence of the 
above phrase. 



244 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Pride's Purge. — An epithet given to a violent measure put 
forth by Colonel Pride to exclude the Presbyterian members from 
the House of Commons, December 6, 1648. 

Primate of All England.— The Archbishop of York is styled 
in formal documents Primate of England, and the Archbishop 
of Canterbury Primate of all England. The distinction arose 
from a fierce dispute in respect of precedence, which occurred at 
a Synod held at Westminster in the reign of Henry the Second, 
and in which blows are said to have passed between the rival 
ecclesiastics. Next clay an appeal was made to the Pope, and the 
dispute was settled by the respective titles being assigned as 
before mentioned ; the precedence being given to the see of 
Canterbury. 

Pimic Faith. — This was a common proverb among the ancients, 
and was applied by the Eomans to the Carthaginian (Parni) 
people, who, according to their enemies, were noted for perfidy 
and cunning. 

Quarter, Giving. — The custom of asking and giving quarter in 
warfare, had its origin, it is said, in an agreement entered into 
between the Dutch and Spaniards, that the ransom of an officer or 
soldier should be the quarter of his year's pay. Hence, to beg 
quarter was to offer a quarter of their pay for personal safety ; 
and to refuse quarter was to decline to accept the proffered ransom. 
Ratting. — A term used to signify the changing sides in politics, 
and which has been thus accounted for : — In Spain, when the Duke 
of Lerma was overthrown, all his party disappeared in a few days. 
James the First having expressed his surprise at this circumstance, 
Gonclemar replied by an apologue, to the effect that two rats 
having found their way into a palace, multiplied so that their num- 
bers and rapacity became troublesome, and in order to extirpate 
them wholesale poisoning was resorted to. 

Bigbyism. — In politics, a term signifying a principle of action 
governed alone by sordid or interested motives ; such as disposing 
of votes for place, pay, or power ; acting the part of a paid advo- 
cate in an unworthy cause, &c. The term is derived from one Mr. 
Eigby, a creature of the Bedford family, and Paymaster-General 
of the Forces, during the American war. While holding this office, 



NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 245 

he is said to have accumulated upwards of £50,000 a year ; and 
to have been a general trafficker in pensions and state emoluments, 
in every direction where his pleasures, vanity, or interest were 
concerned. 

Hights of Women. — A cry got up by a section of the women 
of America, who claimed to be allowed the same political privileges 
as men, and to occupy an unfettered and independent social 
position. Conventions were held with this view in several parts 
of America ; but without achieving any definite result. 

Kiot Act.— An act passed, July 20th, 1715, by which it is 
rendered illegal for persons to assemble for seditious purposes. 
When a mob is noisy or unruly, the custom is, for a magistrate 
to read the Act aloud; and if after that, the crowd does not 
disperse, it may be compelled to do so by force. 

Sobbing Peter to pay Paul. — This proverb is said to have had 
its origin in the time of Edward the Sixth, when a considerable 
portion of the lands of the Abbey of St. Peter at Westminster 
were invaded by the great men of the court, who, therefore, allowed 
somewhat out of them towards the repair of St. Paul's Cathedral. 

Eoland for an Oliver. — This phrase is said to bear reference 
to two pages at the court of Charlemagne, so named, and posses- 
sing equal recommendations ; hence " I'll give you a Roland for 
an Oliver " was tantamount to " I'll give you as good as you send." 

St. James's, Court of. — A diplomatic term signifying the 
royal and ministerial jurisdiction of the British Court. At 
St. James's Palace are held the drawing-rooms, levees, and 
other state ceremonies. 

Sardonic Grin. — This term is said to arise from a plant which 
anciently grew in the island of Sardinia, and which, if eaten, con- 
tracted the muscles of the face, and produced painful and involun- 
tary fits of laughter, frequently terminating fatally. Hence arose 
the name of " Sardonic grin," for a hideous laugh. 

Saxon. — A political term of contempt and reproach made use 
of by the people of Ireland in reference to the English. It was 
a favourite word of the Irish Agitator, Daniel O'Connell, and by 
employing it he sought to impart an idea of estrangement and 
oppression. 



246 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Scaramouch. — One of the grotesque characters of the Italian 
stage, usually represented in an entire suit of black, a colour 
commonly worn in Naples by courtiers and magistrates. The 
original Scaramouch was a person named Fiorelli, a native of 
Naples, who distinguished himself on the stage by his jests and 
his skill in mimicry. 

Scotland, Curse of.— The "nine of diamonds " is so called, 
because it was on the back of that card that the Duke of Cumber- 
land wrote the cruel order to give no quarter to the Scots who 
fought on the side of the Pretender at the Battle of Culloden. 

SeiuSj Horse of. — Cneius Seius, a Koman citizen, possessed a 
horse of singular size and beauty. Seius was put to death by 
Antony, and the horse was bought for a large price by Cornelius 
Dolabella. He in his turn was conquered by Cassius, and fell in 
battle ; upon which the horse came into the hands of Cassius. 
He slaying himself on being defeated by Antony, the horse 
came into Antony's possession, who was afterwards defeated by 
Augustus, and put himself to death. The possession of this 
horse was considered so disastrous to its owner, that " the horse 
of Seius " became a proverbial expression for a thing that was 
supposed to bring ill-fortune to the possessor. 

Seven Hills, City of the. — A name given to Rome from the 
circumstance of it being built upon seven Mils ; namely, the 
Capitoline, Aventine, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Coelian, and 
Palatine. 

Shibboleth.— In Scripture, a word which was made the criterion 
by which to distinguish the Ephraimites from the Grileadites, the 
former of whom could not correctly pronounce the first consonantal 
sound sh, and called the word sibboleth ; hence the criterion of a 
party, or that which distinguishes one interest or faction from 
another. 

Sick Man. — A name given to the empire of Turkey by the 
Emperor Nicholas of Russia. The idea intended to be conveyed 
was, that Turkey, like a sick man, was in imminent danger of 
dissolution ; and that it was, therefore, a favourable opportunity 
for the great Northern power to extend its conquests to the East. 

Sidonian. — This was an epithet applied to anything elegant, 



NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 247 

attractive, or pleasing to the eye in apparel, utensils, ornaments, 
toys, &c. It originated from the ancient people of Sidon, who 
were remarkable for their taste, invention, and design. 

Sinews of War. — An unlimited supply of money for the 
purposes of warfare, thus named by Cicero, who says, " Nervi belli 
pecunia infinita," endless money supplies the very sinews of war. 

Solecism. — This word, signifying impropriety of language, or 
inaccuracy of expression, is said to be derived from the Solceci, a 
people of Attica, who, being transported to Cilicia, lost the purity 
of their language. The term is distinguished from a barbarism, 
for the latter may be in one word, but a solecism must be of more. 

Sworn Brothers. — In former times, upon any expedition or 
invasion being undertaken, it was the custom among the foremost 
soldiers, to engage themselves by reciprocal oaths to share the 
reward of their service. Thus, the term " sworn brothers " came 
to mean those who committed acts of iniquity in concert, because 
of their dividing the proceeds of their guilt. 

Syloson, Scarf of. — Syloson gave to King Darius a rich scarf 
or mantle, and in return received the sovereignty of Samos. 
Hence, this term is applied to small presents which are made 
for the purpose of obtaining larger gifts. 

Tartuffe. — The name of the chief character in Moliere's best 
comedy. Tartuffe is the embodiment of hypocrisy and cant ; 
and so truthfully is this depicted, that the word " Tartuffe " is 
synonymous with hypocrite not only in French but in many 
other languages. 

There is but one God, and Mahomet is His Prophet.— This 
sentence forms the foundation of Mahometan theology, and the 
sentiment is amalgamated with a variety of extraordinary doc- 
trines. 

Thunders of the Vatican. — An epithet for the anathemas and 
denunciations of the Pope, whose palace the Vatican is. 

Transatlantic Cousins. — The name which, in England, is 
applied to the inhabitants of the United States, who dwell on the 
other side of the Atlantic ; and being descended from the same 
common stock as Englishmen, may be regarded as their cousins. 

Tripartite Empire. — Jean Paul Kichter said, that the French 



248 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

had the dominion of the land, the English of the sea, and 
the Germans of the air. 

Turncoat. — This political term of derision is said to have 
arisen as follows : — The Duke of Savoy took, indifferently, some- 
times part with France, and sometimes with Spain ; for that 
purpose he had a corps attired in coats which were white on one 
side and scarlet on the other ; so that when he meant to declare 
for France he wore the white outside, and when for Spain, the 
red. 

Ultra. — A prefix in modern politics used to denote the straining 
party sentiments beyond their limits. Thus, ultra-liberal, some- 
thing more than liberal, and verging on radical ; ultra-radical, 
desiring still greater latitude than that which the radical party 
party has marked out for itself. 

Vattel, According to.— Emer de Vattel was a celebrated writer 
on the Law of Nations, and the principles which he lays down in 
connection with this subject being generally accepted as the 
best authority, it is customary to strengthen a position by a 
reference to Vattel. He died in 1767. 

Venetian B-epublic. — A state which has no political existence 
in the present day, but which figured for more than a thousand 
years among the independent states of Europe, and acted a 
considerable part in modern history. It comprehended the con- 
tinental territory of Venice, in Italy. 

Vicars of the Empire.— The name given to certain princes 
who, in the German constitution, had the right of representing 
the emperor in case of absence or interregnum. The King of 
the Romans, when such existed, was perpetual vicar. If there 
were none, the office was divided into two : the Elector of Saxony 
exercised the vicariate in the two Saxon circles ; the Electors. 
Palatine and of Bavaria, alternately in the remainder of the 
empire. 

Vienna, Court of. — The Austrian court, which has been esta- 
blished in Vienna, the metropolis of the Austrian empire. 

Vow of the Swans. — At a royal banquet given by Edward 
the Second, just previously to his expedition into Scotland, in 1306, 
he took an oath to God and to two swans, which were brought in 



EfATIOl 240 



pon the table, that be would hare vengeance opon 
Robert Bi ce, and punish the ti The swan, 

about that peric rasa royal ! .': f : adopted in connection 

Wise Men of GothailL— The^men of Gotham, in Northampton- 
jar to hare been proverbial in the middle age* for their 
stupidity : and. on account of their displaying the reverse oi 

ally ridiculed as the [en of Gotham." 

Wooden Walls of Old England. name given until 

Bri - - /. which by a fig re 

to form walls around the bland oi Britaii 
an a prot 5cti .. against the invader. 

World. Head of the. — The desi| of ancient Borne 

the days of her splendour. It is still applied by Roman Catholic i 

the head of their religi 
Yankee. — A cant term now ased to designate - nati re oJ - 
. United Hat .: America, but originally applied to the 
inhabitant* . England only. The term is an in iai 

ption of the word /v/>///<' 

thus: — About tl 1713 Jonathan i. 

- is in the habit of using" Yankee' as a 

cant word to express exceller -. .- ikee | ':-. . . 

Che si at the college having freqt aij 

bearing him employ the 
upon so ms 

than. It thus noon beeas (ant phrase 
. g the collegian i . *igi at i a impl • • ... 

. rer the country, till fron 
enrrency in N ! E .d. it was at length taken . ai • 
to the New Englandert generally, as a term of rep: , 



250 THE HISTOEICAL FINGER-POST : 



SEOTIOH XVTII. 

MEMORABLE SAYINGS, MOTTOES, PAETY CRIES, 
NATIONAL SONGS, HYMNS, etc. 

A la Lanterne. — A kind of sentence of condemnation uttered 
by the French people at the time of the first Revolution, against 
any one whom they considered obnoxious to the republican cause. 
The lanterns which lighted the city were at that time suspended 
across the streets by cords, and from these, it was customary 
to hang persons thus condemned. 

Abstain from Beans. — An admonition of Pythagoras, equi- 
valent to saying, " Have nothing to do with elections." The 
Athenians at the election of their public magistrates balloted 
with beans. It is also worthy of remark that the Pythagoreans 
had a superstitious belief that the souls of the dead were 
harboured in the centre of the bean. 

After me the Deluge. — A saying attributed to many persons 
of eminence : its significance is, " When my career is closed, I 
care not what becomes of mankind, or what may be the fate of 
the world, even if it be destroyed by a deluge." 

All is lost save Honour, — The words contained in a letter 
which Francis the First wrote to his mother after the Battle of 
Pavia, February 24th, 1525. This battle was particularly dis- 
astrous to Francis, and he himself was taken prisoner. 

Am I not a Man and a Brother? — Words which Lord 
Brougham, in one of his anti-slavery speeches, put into the mouth 
of a negro, supposed to be appealing to an Englishman for his 
liberty. 

Another such Victory and I am undone. — An exclamation 
of Pontius, an able Samnite general, who in 279 B.C. gained 



NATIONAL EPITHETS, ETC. 249 



and set upon the table, that he would .have vengeance upon 
Robert Brace, and punish the treachery of the Scots. The swan, 
about that period, was a royal device adopted in connection with 
war. 

Wise Men of Gotham. — Thejmen of Gotham, in Northampton- 
shire, appear to have been proverbial in the middle ages for their 
stupidity ; and, on account of their displaying the reverse of 
wisdom, were generally ridiculed as the " Wise Men of Gotham." 

Wooden Walls of Old England.— A name given until very 
recently to the war-ships of the British navy, which by a figure 
of speech were said to form walls around the Island of Britain, 
as a protection against the invader. 

World, Head of the. — The designation of ancient Borne in 
the days of her splendour. It is still applied by Boman Catholics 
to modern Borne, as the see of the head of their religion. 

Yankee. — A cant term now used to designate a native of any 
of the United States of America, but originally applied to the 
inhabitants of New England only. The term is an Indian 
corruption of the word English, and is said to have originated 
thus : — About the year 1713, one Jonathan Hastings, a farmer of 
Cambridge, New England, was in the habit of using " Yankee " as a 
cant word to express excellence, as a Yankee (good) horse, 
Yankee cider, &c. The students at the college having frequent 
intercourse with this man, and hearing him employ the word 
upon so many occasions, applied it sarcastically to its author, and 
called him Yankee Jonathan. It thus soon became a cant phrase 
among the collegians to designate a simple, weak, awkward 
person ; from college it spread over the country, till from its 
currency in New England, it was at length taken up and applied 
to the New Englanders generally, as a term of reproach. 



252 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

becoming so powerful and dangerous a rival, that its destruction 
was necessary to ensure the safety of Eome. 

B. M. — For Dis Manibus, " To the divine Manes," or shades of 
the dead. The usual commencement of Roman sepulchral 
inscriptions. 

Dies Iras. — The first words of a celebrated Latin hymn, de- 
scribing the final judgment of the world. It is ascribed to Thomas 
de Cselano, who lived in the thirteenth century. It is a beautiful 
poem, belonging to those early Christian compositions which 
combine the smoothness of rhyme with the gravity of Latin 
verse. It constitutes a part of the Requiem, or Mass for the 
souls of the dead, and commences as follows : — 

" Dies irse, dies ilia, 
Saeclum solvet in favilla ; 
Teste David cum Sibylla." 

The day of wrath, that dreadful day, 
The world shall crumble to decay ; 
This David and the Sibyl say. 

Bieu et mon Droit. — " God and my right," the motto of the 
sovereigns of England, and first assumed by Richard the First, 
intimating that he held the empire from God alone, and was 
subject to no other power. 

Boxology. — This is said to have been in use in the time of the 
Apostles, and was first directed to be said or sung at the end of 
the Psalms by Pope Damasus, about the year 382. The words 
originally were " Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to 
the Holy Ghost." The response, " As it was in the beginning," 
&c, was added by the fifth canon of the Qouncil of Vaison, held 
in 529, to refute the heresy of those days in which it was con- 
tended, that the Son of God had his beginning in time. The 
term implies literally " giving glory." 

Bulce Domnm. — " Sweet home." A Latin song is thus called 
which is sung at Winchester College, on the evening preceding 
the Whitsuntide holidays. 

Ego et Rex mens. — " I and my king," an expression which 



MEMORABLE SAYINGS, MOTTOES, ETC. 253 

Cardinal Wolsey was accused of uttering, and which was one of 
the charges brought against him, as manifesting his arrogance,, 
and his belief that he was greater than the king. The order ot 
the words in Latin is strictly correct ; therefore, if the story be 
true, Wolsey was a good grammarian, but unwise courtier. 

Either with this, or upon this. — The words of a Spartan 
mother on presenting her son with his shield, enjoining him either 
to bring it back from battle, or to be brought home, slain, upon it. 

England and St. George.— This ancient battle-cry of the 
English was first used by Henry the Second, in Ireland. An 
injunction was given to the old English soldiery that, upon 
entering into battle, assault, skirmish, or other passage of arms,, 
they should have for their common cry, " St. George, forward," 
or, " Upon them, St. George," so that the soldier might be- 
comforted and the enemy dismayed, by calling to mind the 
ancient valour of England, which, with the associations of that 
name, has been so often victorious. 

England expects every Man to do his Duty.— The celebrated 
signal which Nelson gave to the English fleet, just previous to 
the Battle of Trafalgar ; a sentiment which was answered with a 
responsive shout, and which animated every man with a desire to 
emulate the example of his illustrious commander. 

Et tu Brute ! — "And thou, too, Brutus !" These are said to have 
been the last words of Csesar, who had already been stabbed by 
several conspirators, and who noticed among the rest, Brutus, in 
the act of aiming a dagger at him. With this exclamation he fell 
dead to the earth, wounded in twenty-three places. Brutus was. 
the personal friend of Caesar, and owed his life to his clemency 
after the Battle of Pharsalia ; but he professed to sink the friend 
in the patriot, and to become the assassin of one whose ambitious 
schemes he considered to be injurious to his country. 

Eureka. — "I have found it," the exclamation of Archimedes, 
the philosopher, when he discovered the means of ascertaining 
the purity of the golden crown made for his cousin Hiero, king of 
Syracuse, from the space which it should occupy in water. 

Excelsior. — This word is derived from the Latin, and is the com- 
parative degree of the adjective excelsus, high, lofty. Its meaning,, 
therefore, is " still higher ;" and in Longfellow's beautiful poem, it 



254 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

is adopted as the motto of a genius whose world-experience is 
thus illustrated. 

Fear Nothing : you carry CaBsar.— When Caesar was pursuing 
Pompey, for the purpose of waging war with him, he crossed the 
Adriatic in a fisherman's boat. The frail vessel was caught in a 
storm, and the fisherman exhibited fear for his safety. Caesar, to 
encourage him, made use of the above expression. 

Festina Lente. — " Hasten slowly." Be on your guard against 
impetuosity. A favourite saying of the Emperors Augustus and 
Titus. It forms the punning motto of the Onslow family. 

Follow me, I will "be your Leader.— Words addressed by the 
young King Kichard the Second to the mob, upon the occasion of 
their ringleader, Wat Tyler, being struck down and killed. 
These words acted as a charm on the unruly multitude, and they 
mechanically followed the intrepid young king. 

Forty Centuries are gazing at us from these Pyramids. — 
Words which Bonaparte addressed to his army on the occasion 
of invading Egypt in 1798. His design was to inspire the soldiers 
with martial ardour, by reminding them that they were in the 
presence of so many heroes of antiquity. 

Fult Ilium. — " Ilium was." So said in reference to the former 
greatness of Ilium or Troy, and the complete destruction which 
had befallen it. Commonly said of a thing long past, or of that 
which has left only a wreck of its former self. 

Gaude, Maria Virgo.—" Rejoice, Virgin Mary." The begin- 
ning of an anthem chanted by the monks of the Romish Church 
at nightfall, from which the particular period of time obtained 
the name of Godemarre. 

God Save the Clueen. — This, the National Anthem of England, 
was composed by Dr. Bull, organist to Queen Elizabeth. It is 
said to have been first sung in Merchant Tailors' Hall in the 
presence of King James the First, after his escape from the Gun- 
powder Plot. 

Had I but served my God as faithfully as I have served 
my Prince, He would not have deserted me in my Old Age. — 
A plaint uttered by Cardinal Wolsey when his last moments were 
approaching, and when he was left to die, neglected and im- 



MEMORABLE SAYINGS, MOTTOES, ETC. 255 

poverished, by Henry the Eighth, whom he had served with a 
fidelity as unscrupulous as it was unswerving. 

H. E. R. — An abbreviation for Heiliges Romisches Reich (Holy 
Eoman empire) ; it is to be met with in many manuscripts, diplo- 
mas, and books printed during the existence of the German empire, 
which was, in theory, the continuation of the old Eoman empire. 

I glory in tlie Mame of Briton.— Memorable words which 
George the Third addressed to the British Parliament upon the 
occasion of its first meeting after his accession. 

I have lost a Bay. — The exclamation of the Emperor Titus, 
on finding at night that he had done nothing worthy of recollec- 
tion during the day. 

I. H, S. — An ecclesiastical monogram, " lesu Hominum 
Salvator," Jesus the Saviour of men. 

Ich Dien. — " I serve ;" the motto of the Prince of "Wales, and 
first adopted by Edward the Black Prince, who took it from the 
king of Bohemia, who was killed at the Battle of Crecy. 

If I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes.— This ex- 
clamation was made use of by Alexander the Great upon the occa- 
sion of his paying a visit to the Cynic in his tub. The monarch 
stood between Diogenes and the sun, while asking if he could 
confer any favour upon him. " Stand out of my sunshine," was 
the reply, upon which Alexander made use of the foregoing words. 

Imprimatur. — Latin for " Let it be printed ;" the word by 
which the licenser allows a book to be printed in countries where 
the censorship of literature is exercised in its rigour. 

I've passed the Kubicon— An expression made use of by 
Julius Caesar upon the occasion of his marching against the 
Senate on his return from Gaul, and immediately he had reached 
the opposite banks of the Eubicon. Csesar meant to imply that, 
having now crossed the river in the character of an invader, it 
was too late to think of retreating. In this sense the phrase has 
been since applied to any movement or action of an irrevocable 
nature. 

Know Thyself. — This precept was inscribed in golden letters 
over the portico of the Temple at Delphi. It has been ascribed 
to Pythagoras, Chilo, Thales, Cleobulus, and Socrates. It has 



256 THE HISTOEICAL FINGER-POST: 

also been attributed to Phemonoe, a mythical Greek poetess of 
the ante-Homeric period. 

Knowledge is Power. — An expression derived from Lord 
Bacon. In his " Proficience and Advancement of Learning," he 
employs two pages in demonstrating that knowledge is the 
highest of all powers. 

La Propriete c'est le Vol. — That is, " Property is theft ;" a 
mischievous assertion made use of by a notorious Socialist named 
Proudhon at the time of the French Ee volution in 1848. The 
implication was, that the property possessed by one section of 
the community had been stolen from the less fortunate or deserv- 
ing portion of mankind ; that by consequence, the holder of such 
possessions had no greater right to them than the robber has to 
his plunder ; and that, such being the case, it would be but equitable 
to steal from the stealers. In short, a new reading of the old 
Socialist doctrine, that no man has a right to be better off than 
his neighbour. Inconsistently enough, M. Proudhon a few years 
since maintained an action at law for infringement of copyright ! 

Le Roi est Mort— Vive le Eoi !— French for " The king is 
dead — long live the king !" A phrase embodying the assertion 
that " the king never dies," and supposed to be the terms in which 
the death of the departed monarch and the advent of his suc- 
cessor are simultaneously announced. 

L'Empire c'est la Paix. — That is to say, " The empire ! peace 
is the empire ;" a famous exclamation made by the Emperor 
Louis Napoleon, and implying that peace is the only sure foun- 
dation upon which the Imperial Government of France rests. 

L'Etat c'est moi. — " I am the state," a principle enunciated by 
Louis the Fourteenth of France, who meant thereby to uphold 
kingly absolutism, and to ignore that responsibility which a con- 
stitutional monarch owes to his ministers and his people. 

Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite. — The motto adopted by the 
republican party on the various occasions of the French revolu- 
tions. 

Lillibullero. — A song which created an immense sensation in 
the time of James the Second, and which was said to have been 
greatly instrumental in driving that monarch out of the kingdom. 



MEMORABLE SAYINGS, MOTTOES, ETC. 257 

It was written in ridicule of Popery, and of the Irish people, who 
were then extremely unpopular in England. The verses were in 
no respect above the ordinary standard of street poetry, and had 
for their burden some gibberish which was said to have been 
used as a watchword by the insurgents of Ulster in 1641. The 
verses and the tune caught the fancy of the nation. From one 
end of England to the other all classes were constantly singing, 
humming, or whistling it. It was especially the delight of the 
English army. This song was written by Thomas Wharton, who 
at one period represented Buckinghamshire in Parliament, and 
who was conspicuous for his antagonism to James the Second. 

Marseillaise. — The hymn of this name has played an important 
part in continental revolutions ; it was the production of a French 
officer of engineers named Eouget de Lille, who was quartered 
in Strasbourg in the year 1791. Marshal Luckner who commanded 
the army, inquired if there was any one who could compose 
a soul-inspiring song to animate his soldiers, who consisted 
chiefly of young conscripts. Captain Eouget de Lille was 
mentioned, and he was prevailed upon to undertake the task. 
He retired to his quarters, and during the night composed and 
wrote the song in question. On the following morning the army 
marched to its tune, and carried everything before them with an 
enthusiasm only to be equalled by absolute frenzy. The name 
" Marseillaise " was given to it long after its original production, 
when a body of troops entered Paris from Marseilles playing the air. 

Mea Culpa, Dens. — " My fault, God." A mediaeval expres- 
sion, like our " God forgive me," used by a person when sensible 
of having done or said anything profane. 

Miserere. — In the Roman Catholic Church, the 51st Psalm, 
otherwise called the Psalm of Mercy, usually appointed for 
penitential acts. 

Montjoie St. Benys. — The battle-cry of the ancient kings 
of France ; it was the name of the convent of St. Denys, which 
was under the special protection of the Kings of France. 

Nec Plunbus Impar. — " No unequal match for many." The 
motto assumed by Louigt the Fourteenth, when he formed his 
project for the subjugation of Europe. 

k 



258 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

No Royal Road to Geometry— Ptolemy the Third, of Egypt, 
wishing to master Geometry without the toil of learning, inquired 
of Euclid whether he could not arrive at the desired end by a 
shorter method ; to which Euclid made answer, that there was 
" No royal road to Geometry." 

Non Angli sed Angeli forent, si essent Christian!— '•' They 
would be, not Angles, but Angels, if they were Christians." A 
celebrated remark made by Pope Gregory the Great, on per- 
ceiving in the slave-market at Kome some English children of 
great beauty. 

Non mi Ricordo. — The celebrated answer reiterated by an 
Italian named Majocchi, who was one of the witnesses in the 
investigation into the conduct of Queen Caroline, Consort of 
George the Fourth, and who, when called upon for his evidence, 
replied to nearly every question " Non mi ricordo " (I do not 
remember). The absurdity of this evasion on the part of a 
material witness in so important an inquiry, gave to the words the 
significance of a sort of party-cry among the queen's adherents. 

Eon Nobis Boniine. — " Not unto us, Lord." The beginning, 
of the 115th Psalm. Some verses of the Psalm commencing as 
above, have been used for ages as a grace after dinner, and are 
still chanted at public festivals. 

Liberty ! what Grimes are committed in thy Name. — 
This exclamation was made by Madame Roland, one of the 
victims of the first French revolution. When arrived near the 
scaffold upon which she was to suffer, she bent toward the statue 
of Liberty which stood there, and uttered the remarkable words 
above quoted. 

Oh, my Country. — The dying words of the celebrated states- 
man, William Pitt, whose death was accelerated by the failure of 
his plan for delivering Europe from French tyranny. 

Oh, Sir Harry Vane ! Sir Harry Yane ! the Lord deliver 
us from Sir Harry Vane! — An exclamation of Cromwell 
when he entered the House of Commons with a body of soldiers, 
for the purpose of expelling the members, and upon which 
occasion he was resisted by Sir Henry Vane, member for 
Kingston-upon-Hull. Sir Henry Vane persisted in his hostility 



MEMORABLE SAYINGS, MOTTOES, ETC. 259 

to Cromwell's government during the whole of the Protectorate, 
and was imprisoned for some time in Carisbrook -Castle. Having 
afterwards incurred the displeasure of the Parliament and the 
king, he was accused of treason, and beheaded June 14th, 1662. 

Oh that the People had hut one Neck, that they might he 
despatched at a single Blow! — This blood-thirsty wish was 
given utterance to by the Roman emperor Caligula, whose name 
is rendered infamous, by the delight he took in practising refined 
cruelties, and tortures of the most horrible description. 

Orange Boven. — A. rallying cry to which the people of 
Amsterdam rose in a body, at the same time displaying the 
orange colours, when the independence of Holland was declared 
in opposition to French rule. 

Oratorio. — A species of dramatic representation connected with 
sacred history and set to music. The origin of this class of 
entertainment has been traced by many to the ancient plays 
called Mysteries. But the particular kind of sacred music known 
in England under the name of Oratorio, is so called from its 
having been first performed in the oratory or chapel of Filippo 
Neri, a nobleman of Florence, about the year 1550 ; it -afterwards 
became fashionable throughout Europe, and was introduced on 
the English stage during Lent in the year 1730, at the 
recommendation of Handel, the famous composer. 

Psean. — In antiquity, a song of triumph, or a song of rejoicing 
in honour of Apollo. 

Partant pour la Syrie. — A national air recently adopted by 
France ; it was the composition of Hortense, Queen of Holland, 
the mother of Louis Napoleon, Emperor of the French. 

Point d' Argent, point de Suisse— A French proverb signify- 
ing " No money, no Suisse," and having reference to the Swiss 
mercenaries formerly in the pay of states who preferred them to 
native troops. 

Guand Meme. — An ultra-royalist phrase in France, taken from 
a common cry in La Vendee, during the first French revolution : 
Vive le Moi, quand meme, that is, Long live the King, even though 
(or at all events). The application of it made by the ultras, was 
that they would adhere to the principles of ultra-royalism, though 

k 2 



260 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

the king himself should recede from them ; and the phrase has 
become quite ^ommon, being used in such connexions as the 
quand meme principle. 

Qui Vive ?— Literally, "Who lives?" the challenge of the 
French sentries to those who approach their posts ; equivalent to 
the English " Who goes there ? " 

Ranz des Vaclies. — The name given to a simple melody of the 
Swiss mountaineers played upon Alpine horns. It is said that 
the French government forbade this tune to be played to the 
Swiss troops upon pain of death, as it immediately drew tears 
from their eyes and occasioned them to desert, or die of what was 
called maladie du pays, or home-sickness, so ardently did it make 
them wish to return to their native country. 

Register ! Register! Register! — An injunction which Sir 
Robert Peel laid down to those who were entitled to vote for 
members of Parliament ; by following which, individual politi- 
cal privileges were secured, and party was strengthened. 

Remember ! — The last word spoken by Charles the First, when 
on the scaffold, and addressed by way of injunction to Bishop 
Juxon, who attended him. Much importance was attached by 
Cromwell and his party to this farewell word, and Juxon was 
afterwards commanded to declare the precise import of it. The 
bishop informed them that the king only impressed upon him a 
former and particular request to deliver his decorations of St. 
George to the Prince of Wales, and at the same time to urge the 
command of his father to forgive his murderers. 

Remember the Athenians— These words, Darius, King of 
Persia, commanded one of his officers to repeat to him every 
evening. It bore reference to a party of Athenians having just 
previously set fire to Sardis, the capital of Lydia — an act which 
greatly exasperated the king, and which he determined to avenge, 

Right Man in the Right Place.— A favourite term used to 
express the appointment of a person to a post for which he is 
eminently fitted. The origin of this phrase has been traced to 
the following extract from the writings of Bishop Berkeley :— 
" The world is like a board, with holes in it, and the square men 
have got into the round holes, and the round into the square." 



MEMORABLE SAYINGS, MOTTOES, ETC. 261 

Rogue's March. — An air played by the regimental band upon 
the occasion of an incorrigible military offender being dismissed 
the service. 

Rule Britannia. — The words of this celebrated national 
anthem or song, were taken from the poet Thomson's Masque of 
Alfred, and the air was composed by Dr. Arne. 

Sagas. — The general name of those ancient compositions which 
comprise at once the history and mythology of the northern 
European races ; they are, however, interesting rather as narra- 
tives than valuable as historic records. Those composed in the 
twelfth and thirteenth centuries are the most highly esteemed. 

Sauve qui pent. — " Save himself who can." The exclamation 
uttered by Napoleon Bonaparte, as he fled from the field of 
Waterloo. 

Semper Eadem. — " Always the same." First used as the 
motto of the arms of England in 1702. 

Shall Cromwell have a Statue ? — When arrangements were 
made for placing the statues of the several English rulers in the 
new Houses of Parliament, a fierce controversy arose as to 
whether Cromwell should be admitted among them. The dispute 
lasted a long time, and the words above quoted formed a species 
of text upon which to conduct the argument for and against. It 
was at length decided that, inasmuch as Cromwell must, to a certain 
extent, be regarded as an usurper, and could not take rank as a 
legitimate ruler, the statue should be denied him. 

Si Uuis.— Latin for " If any one ; " the words with which the 
advertisements commenced that formerly were posted on the 
doors of St'. Paul's Cathedral. 

Soho. — A famous war-cry, by which the insurgents under the 
Duke of Monmouth agreed to recognise each other An the dark- 
ness of the night, July 5th, 1685, when an attempt was made to 
surprise and put to rout the forces of James the Second, which 
lay encamped at Sedgmoor, near Bridgwater. The word is 
supposed to have been selected in allusion to Soho Fields, in 
London, where Monmouth's palace stood. 

Stabat Mater. — A celebrated Latin hymn, which is sung in the 
Roman Catholic Church, particularly on the festival of the Seven 



262 THE HISTOKICAL FIN GEE-POST : 

Sorrows of Mary, and generally during the services of Lent. It 
commences " Stabat mater dolorosa "—There stood the mother, 
bathed in tears. It is supposed to have been written by a monk 
of the thirteenth century, and it has been set to music in various 
styles by the most eminent composers of sacred harmony. 

Star-Spangled Banner.— An American national song, bearing 
reference to the flag of the United States. It was composed by 
Francis Key, in 1812, on the occasion of the unsuccessful attack 
made upon Baltimore by the British. It was written on the spur 
of the moment, and was hastily struck off; it was immediately 
received with favour, and has ever since occupied the place of the 
national song. 

Strike, but liear me. — When the abandonment of Salamis was 
being discussed in the synod of the Peloponnesian chiefs, Adei- 
mantus reproved Themistocles for his precipitancy, saying, 
" Themistocles, those who in the public games rise up before the 
proper signal are scourged." " True," answered the Athenian, 
" but. those who lag behind win no crowns." At this, Adeiman- 
tus raised his staff to strike Themistocles ; upon which, the 
latter addressed to his antagonist the celebrated words quoted 
above. 

Take away that Bauble.— Words uttered by Cromwell, in 
allusion to the Speaker's mace, when he entered the House of 
Commons, for the purpose of dismissing the members. 

Te Benin.— A hymn of the Komish Church, beginning with the 
Latin words, "Te Deum Laudamus "— We praise Thee, G-od ! 
It is sung on extraordinary occasions, in giving thanks to the 
Almighty for a victory, or any other propitious occurrence. 

The Athenians understand what is good, "but the Lacedse- 
monians practise it.— In a public assembly at Athens, a vene- 
rable old man came too late for a place. The Athenian youths, 
seeing the confusion he was in, and bent on mischief, made signs 
that they would accommodate him if he came where they sat : 
the old man bustled through the crowd accordingly ; but when he 
came to the seats to which he was invited, the occupants set 
themselves close together, and thus kept the object of their jest, 
standing out of countenance, in the face of the whole audience. 



MEMORABLE SAYINGS, MOTTOES, ETC. 263 

The old man then approached the seats appointed for the 
Lacedsemonians, who immediately rose in a body, and, with the 
greatest respect, received him among them. The Athenians, 
being suddenly touched with a sense of the Spartan virtue, and 
their own degeneracy, gave a thunder of applause ; upon which, 
the old man made use of the above exclamation. 

The King shall enjoy his own again.— A celebrated Jacobite 
song, always sung with the greatest enthusiasm by the adherents 
of the Stuart cause, and in which composition was prophesied the 
happy state of things that would exist, when the exiled Stuart 
once more gained possession of the throne. 

The Schoolmaster is abroad.— This saying, implying the 
happy influence which instruction is calculated to exercise on 
the morals and welfare of the people, originated with Lord 
Brougham, and is thus reported in one of his speeches : " Let 
the soldier be abroad, if he will ; he can do nothing in this age. 
There is another personage abroad — a person less imposing— in 
the eyes of some, perhaps, insignificant. The schoolmaster is 
abroad ; and . I trust to him, armed with his primer, against the 
soldier in full military array." 

These are my Jewels. — A famous expression made use of by 
Cornelia, daughter of Scipio Africanus, and mother of the 
Gracchi. She carefully directed the education and moral training 
of her sons, and was greatly admired for her virtues. Upon the 
occasion of a lady displaying her jewels in Cornelia's house, and 
entreating her to favour her with a sight of her own, Cornelia 
produced her two sons, saying "These are my jewels; I can 
boast of no others." 

This Hand has offended! — When Cranmer was brought to- 
the stake, he bewailed his previous apostacy, namely, his 
signing a recantation of the reformed faith ; and in the midst 
of the flames, he held forth the hand that had signed the recan- 
tation until it was consumed ; exclaiming as he did so, " This 
hand has offended ! " 

This shall henceforth be my Music. — When Charles the 
Twelfth of Sweden was in his first engagement, he inquired 
of an officer what occasioned the whistling sound which he 



264 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

heard, and being informed that it was the noise of the bullets 
rushing through the air, he said, " This shall henceforth be my 
music." 

To your Tents, Israel. — A seditious watchword of the 
Jews of old ; applied by the Puritan mob to Charles the First, 
when he appeared in public, during the time of his unpopularity. 

True Blue. — Blue is a party-colour adopted by the Liberals 
in political warfare. It has always been the distinguishing 
colour of the anti-Court section in England; and was first 
assumed by the Covenanters in opposition to the scarlet badge 
of Charles the First. 

Y8B Victis ! — " Woe to the conquered ! " The exclamation of 
Brennus the Gaul, when he threatened extermination to the 
Komans 365 B.C. 

Veni, Vidi, Yici. — Latin for I came, I saw, I conquered. 
The words in which Julius Caesar announced a victory gained 
over Pharnaces, at a place called Zela, in Asia Minor. 

Vox Fopuli Yox Dei. — " The voice of the people is the 
voice of God." A maxim put forward by the opponents of the 
" divine right of kings." It is quoted as a proverb of William 
of Malmesbury, who lived in the early part of the twelfth century. 

When you go to Rome, do as Kome does. — This saying 
originated with some of the early Fathers of the Church respect- 
ing the day of the week upon which a fast should be observed ; 
the answer of St. Ambrose, of Milan, when appealed to, being, 
" When I go to Eome, I fast on the Saturday as they do at Eome, 
but when I am here, I do not. 

Wilkes and Liberty! — The party-cry of those who espoused 
the cause of the notorious John Wilkes ; who affected to repre- 
sent in his own proper person, the cause of liberty, and gave 
himself out to be a martyr for the sake of the people. 

Would to God, Eight or Blucher were come.— An exclama- 
tion uttered by the Duke of Wellington, towards the termination 
of the Battle of Waterloo, when he was being hard pressed by 
the enemy, and was anxiously awaiting the reinforcement under 
the command of Blucher the Prussian general. 



BOOKS OF FAITH, RECORDS, ETC. 265 



SEOTIOH XIX. 

BOOKS OF FAITH, RECORDS, REMARKABLE 
PUBLICATIONS. 

Acta Populi. — Among the Romans, journals or public registers, 
in which were noted, the daily occurrences, assemblies of the 
people, trials, fires, buildings, births, marriages, deaths of illus- 
trious persons, and other events of general interest and import- 
ance. They differed from the national annals in being rather a 
record of social events than political occurrences. 

Acta Sanctorum. — A name sometimes applied to all collections 
of accounts of ancient martyrs and saints, both of the Greek 
and Roman Churches. It is used more particularly as the title 
of a voluminous work of this character, which was commenced 
at the instigation of the Jesuits, in 1643, and continued to 
1794. 

Alcoran. — In Arabic, " The Book," a title given by way of emi- 
nence to the Mahometan Gospel, which the Mahometans state was 
delivered to Mahomet by the Archangel Gabriel, in small portions, 
only a verse at a time, and in different places, during a period, 
of twenty-three years. There are seven principal editions of 
the Alcoran, two at Medina, one at Mecca, one at Cufa, one at 
Bassora, one in Syria, and the common or Vulgate edition. The 
Koran is universally allowed to be written with the utmost 
elegance and purity of language, and is confessedly the standard 
of the Arabic tongue. 

Amber Witch.— The name of a book written by Meinhold, 
a German author ; it is pure fiction, but was written with the 
view of convincing some German Biblical critics of their folly 
in pretending to decide that whole chapters or whole books of 
the Bible are spurious from internal evidence. Several of the 



266 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: 

would-be critics fell into the trap, and then the author avowed 
the work to be his own. 

Anti-Jacofoin. — A political publication which appeared in 
1797-8, the object of which was to attack the journalists and 
other writers of the day who advocated or were supposed to 
advocate the doctrines of the French Kevolution. This periodical 
i s remarkable for the numerous pieces of wit and lively satire, 
chiefly contributed by George Canning and his friends. 

Apologies of the Fathers. — Writings in defence of Chris- 
tianity; composed from the beginning of the second to the 
sixth century. They were put forth with a view of refuting the 
doctrines of heathenism, and the false accusations against the 
followers of Jesus. They were mostly addressed to all well- 
informed heathens, and on particular occasions appealed to 
Emperors, in order to convince them of the injustice and folly 
of persecutions. 

Balancing Letter. — The name of a renowned treatise, written 
by Earl Somers, Lord Chancellor, in 1697. It bore reference 
to a Parliamentary conflict which was then raging as to the 
expediency or inexpediency of having a standing army in Eng- 
land. The letter in question was so artfully worded, as to 
demonstrate alike the evil of having regular soldiers, and the 
evil of not having them. The object was to recommend, with a 
pretended absence of bias, the keeping of a standing army, only 
giving it a different name and organization. 

Battel Soil. — An ancient English record containing the 
names of 629 Norman chieftains, among whom the lands of 
Harold, the king, who was killed at the battle of Hastings, were 
confiscated and divided. 

BeacUroll. — Previous to the Reformation, the catalogue of 
those who were to be mentioned at prayers; as well as the 
king's enemies, who were cursed by name in the bead-roll 
of St. Paul's. 

Bees, Fable of the. — A work published in 1714, by an author 
named Mandeville, and which, on account of the startling theory 
it propounded, created for a time a considerable sensation. 
The sub-title of this book was " Private Vices made Public 



BOOKS OF FAITH, RECORDS, ETC. * 267 

Benefits," which at once affords a clue to the line of argument 
taken up by the author. The tendency of the book was thought 
to be so immoral, that it was " presented " by the grand jury ot 
Middlesex, within a few months after its publication. 

Beza's Codex. — A celebrated manuscript, containing the Four 
Gospels and Acts of the Apostles written in Greek, with a 
corresponding Latin text on every opposite page. It was 
presented to the University of Cambridge by Theodore Beza, 
in 1581, whence its name. 

Bishop's or Parker's Bible.— So called from Mathew Parker, 
Archbishop of Canterbury ; and first appearing in 1568. Parker 
employed learned men to review the previous translation, and 
compare them with the originals. This edition exhibits, in 
consequence, some material variations. 

Black Book. — The black book of the Exchequer of England 
is said to have been completed in 1175. It contains a description 
of the Court of Exchequer, its officers, their ranks and privileges, 
remuneration, perquisites, and jurisdiction, with the revenues of 
the Crown in money, grain, and cattle. A black book was also 
compiled by order of Henry the Eighth, containing a detailed 
account of the enormities practised in religious houses. 

Breeches Bible. — An old edition of the Bible, in which the 
passage " They sewed fig-leaves together and made themselves 
aprons " is printed " and made themselves breeches.'" From 
this circumstance, such copies are held to be rare and curious. 

Breviary. — A book of holy ordinances and offices in an abridged 
form. Breviaries had their origin from the little religious books 
carried about by the ancient monks in their journeys, which were 
generally written in a short or abbreviated style, a whole period 
being expressed by a few syllables. 

Candide. — The name of a famous tale written by Voltaire, 
forming an epoch in French literature. In this work the author 
launches all his powers of sarcasm and irony against the system 
of optimism, while he attacks revelation with plausible but super- 
ficial arguments. 

Catholic Epistles. — These Epistles, so called because they were 
addressed to Christians in general, are, the Epistle of St. James, 



268 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

written at Judea ; the two Epistles of St. Peter, at Eome ; St. 
John's first, second, and third Epistles, at Ephesus ; and the 
Epistle of St. Jude. 

Common Prayer.— The liturgy of the English Church, so 
called, was originally composed in 1547, and brought into general 
use the following year : it was revised in the year 1553, having 
the Confession and Absolution added to it, and the introduction 
of the Ten Commandments at the commencement of the com- 
munion service, whilst many prayers favouring the Roman super- 
stition were omitted. In this state it continued, except during 
the short period of Mary's reign, until the accession of James the 
First; that part of the Church Catechism which treats of the 
Sacraments was then introduced. In the reign of Charles the 
Second, some few alterations took place, since which no change 
worthy of notice has been attempted. 

Counterblast to Tobacco. — The title of a treatise written 
against tobacco by James the First, who considered its con- 
sumption to be prejudicial to the health of his subjects, and 
endeavoured to abolish its use by heavy imposts. 

Coverdale's Bible. — This is represented to have been printed 
at Zurich in 1535, and was dedicated by Miles Coverdale to 
Henry the Eighth. It was favourably received at Court ; and in 
the following year it was enjoined that a copy of this translation 
should be laid in the choir of every parish church in England, for 
every one to read at his pleasure. 

Cranmer's Bible. — An edition of the Holy Scriptures, prepared 
under the direction of Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, and 
published in 1539. 

Decade.— A word used by some old writers in a general sense 
for the number ten, or an enumeration by tens ; but more par- 
ticularly appropriated to the number of books into which the 
history of the Eoman Empire, by Livy, is divided, each division 
consisting of ten books, or decades. It was also the name given 
to the space of ten days, which, in the French republican calendar, 
was substituted for the ordinary week. 

Decameron. — The name given by Boccaccio to his celebrated 
collection of tales. They are supposed to be narrated in turn, 



BOOKS OF FAITH, RECORDS, ETC. 269 

during ten days, by a party of guests assembled at a villa in the 
country to escape from the plague which raged at Florence in 
1348. 

Divina Commedia. — A celebrated Italian poem, written by 
Dante, and first published in 1300. It is a vision of the realms 
of eternal punishment, of expiation, and of bliss, in the invisible 
world beyond death ; and, as a work of imagination, is conceived 
never to have been surpassed in any age or language. Numerous 
editions of the work have appeared from time to time, and it has 
been translated into almost every language of Europe. 

Dome Book. — An ancient work, compiled by Alfred the Great, 
supposed to comprise the local customs of the several provinces 
of the kingdom, the penalties for offences, and the forms of judicial 
procedure. 

Domesday Book. — An ancient record made in the time of 
William the Conqueror ; it consists of two volumes, a greater and 
less : the greater containing a survey of all the lands in England, 
except the northern counties ; and the lesser volume the counties 
of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk. It was begun in 1081 and 
finished in 1086. The question whether lands are ancient demesne 
or not is decided by this record, from whence there is no appeal. 

Douay Bible. — The English translation of the Scriptures of the 
Old and New Testament sanctioned by the Roman Catholic 
Church. So called from Douay, a town in France, where the 
Old Testament was translated. 

Durham Letter. — The name of a famous epistle addressed by 
Lord John Russell to the Bishop of Durham, at the period of the 
Papal Aggression ; in which letter, the writer expresses a determi- 
nation in forcible language to preserve and protect the rights and 
privileges of the Established Protestant Church. 

Geneva Bible. — A Bible prepared by certain divines, who, during 
the reign of Mary, took refuge in Geneva, and thus employed 
themselves ; it appeared in 1560. This edition is identical with 
the " Breeches Bible," which see. 

Golden Ass. — The title of a celebrated work written by Apuleius, 
a Platonic philosopher, who lived in the second century. This 
work is a running satire on the absurdities of magic, the crimes of 



270 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

the pagan priesthood, the intrigues of debauchees, and the syste- 
matic outrages of thieves and robbers. The stories are so 
graphically told, that many persons have believed as truth that, 
which the author intended only as romance. The work has been 
printed innumerable times, and has been translated into all the 
European languages. 

Golden Legend. — A celebrated work by Jacques de Voraigne,. 
archbishop of Genoa, who died in 1298. This book has gone 
through a large number of editions, on account of its peculiar 
style, and the beauty of the lives of the saints. It is, however, 
full of errors and absurdities. 

Hob"bes's Leviathan. — The Leviathan was a work produced by 
the celebrated philosophical and political writer Thomas Hobbes r 
who died in 1676. This production is remarkable for its profun- 
dity and research, and is also notorious for the scepticism with 
which it is tinged. 

Homilies, Book of. — The homilies of the Established Church of 
England are contained in two books ; the former of which was 
published in the reign of Edward the Sixth, and the latter in the 
beginning of the reign of Elizabeth. They were ordered to be 
read in such churches as were not provided with a sufficiently 
learned minister, in order to prevent unsound doctrine being 
taught in remote places. The authors of these homilies were the 
great reformers Cranmer, Eidley, Latimer, and Jewel. 

Icon Basilicon. — An apologetic and laudatory work on the con- 
duct of Charles the First, which appeared shortly after the death 
of that monarch, and was by many supposed to have been written 
by him. 

If. — The name of a castle famous as one of the state prisons of 
France. It is situated on a small island in the Mediterranean, 
close to Marseilles. The appellation signifies a yew-tree. 

Jlinilis's Letters. — A series of political epistles remarkable for 
their brilliancy and trenchant satire ; they were published origi- 
nally in the Public Advertiser in 1770, the proprietor of which 
was prosecuted but virtually acquitted. The author of these 
celebrated letters has not been ascertained with certainty ; they 
have been attributed to various persons, but the weight of evidence 



BOOKS OF FAITH, EECORDS, ETC. 271 

seems to preponderate in favour of Sir Philip Francis, a man of 
great abilities, and a conspicuous member of the Whigs. 

Killing no Murder. — The title of a pamphlet written by Colonel 
Titus towards the close of Cromwell's Protectorate, 1657. Colonel 
Titus had been formerly an ardent supporter of Cromwell, but 
regarding his latter acts as despotic he denounced him as a tyrant, 
and declared that in such a case assassination would be no crime. 
This pamphlet is said to have redoubled the fears which Cromwell 
already entertained for his personal safety, and to have contributed 
to embitter his last days. 

Liber Regis. — The name of a book of the time of Henry the 
Eighth, containing an account of the whole of the ecclesiastical 
property of England and Wales, in the state in which it stood at 
the eve of the Reformation. 

Maccabees. — Five Scriptural books containing the history of the 
Jews during an interval of forty years, ending 135 B.C. Opinions 
are divided as to the authorship of this book ; but it is accepted 
as the best authority for the history of the period to which it relates. 

Mathewe's Bible. — This was printed abroad in 1537 by two 
English printers, who assumed the name of Thomas Mathewe ; 
the real editor was John Rogers, who was the -first person burned 
for heresy in the reign of Mary. 

Menu, Institutes of. — In Hindoo mythology, the code of 
Indian civil and religious law, founded by Menu, the son of Brahma. 
These institutes are of a most comprehensive nature, embracing 
all that relates to human life, the creation of the world and of 
man, the nature of God and spirits, and a complete system of 
moral government and religion. Though a system of despotism 
and priestcraft, many of its moral maxims have all the sublimity 
and bear a close resemblance to those of Christianity. 

Misclina and Gemara. — The Mischna was an ancient Jewish 
code of traditional law, in which was embodied all the authorized 
interpretations of the Mosaic law, the traditions, the decisions 
of the learned, and the precedents of the courts or schools. The 
Gemara was another work of authority among the Jews, in 
which the strangest traditions are mixed up with wise precepts, 
profound allegories, and moral apologues. 



272 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: 

North Briton, No. 45.— The forty-fifth number of a publi- 
cation so called, issued in April, 1763, by John Wilkes, M.P. 
for Aylesbury; in which George the Third is charged with 
falsehood, and other accusations are made against the ministers 
of the day. This obnoxious publication was burnt in front of 
the Eoyal Exchange by the common hangman, and Wilkes was 
arrested and imprisoned. Much popular excitement was caused 
by these proceedings ; " Number Forty-five " became a rallying 
cry among the adherents of Wilkes ; and that gentleman was 
not only set at liberty, but obtained £1000 damages from the 
Secretary of State. 

Ossian. — A celebrated Scotch bard of the third century, is 
reputed to have been the son of Fingal, King of Morven, whom 
he accompanied on his expedition to Ireland, and eventually 
succeeded in the command. Old age and infirmity unfitting the 
bard for service, he relinquished the sword for the lyre, and 
sang the exploits of his father Fingal, of his son Oscar, and 
of other warriors. The name of Ossian has obtained much 
celebrity in English literature, on account of the translation of 
his works reputed to be made by Macpherson, and respecting the 
genuineness of the original of which, there has been considerable 
controversy. 

Polyglot. — A term derived from two Greek words signifying 
" in several languages." The application of the word is re- 
stricted to the Bible. The idea of Polyglot Scriptures appears 
to have been first conceived in the third century by Origen, 
who spent many years in forming the Old Testament into such a 
work. 

Ragman's Roll. — So called from one Eagimund, a legate in 
Scotland, who, summoning before him all the beneficed clergymen 
of that kingdom, compelled them on oath to render an account 
of the true value of their benefices ; according to which they 
were afterwards taxed by the Court of Rome. 

Reynard the Fox. — The title of a famous satire in the epic 
form, written in Low German, and published in 1498. It is 
believed to have been produced by Nicholas Beaumanor, who 
was engaged in various public employments ; and who is supposed 



BOOKS OP FAITH, RECORDS, ETC. 273 

to have been induced to write this poem from the wrongs he 
suffered at the court of the Duke of Juliers. The whole satire is 
directed against the intrigues practised at a weak court: the 
characters are represented by animals, and the arch-rogue, the 
fox, called Reynard, is the hero. The work abounds with wit and 
humour, and has been translated into several modern languages, 
and also into Latin. 

Rights of Man. — The title of a political work written by the 
notorious Tom Paine. It appeared at the time of the French 
Revolution, 1790, and advocated certain principles of conduct 
inimical to society, and subversive of order and good government. 
Paine was prosecuted for this work, but escaped to France. 

Rochefoucauld's Maxims. — A popular and oft- quoted collection 
of maxims, produced by the Due de Rochefoucauld, a celebrated 
French writer, born at Paris, 1605. This work is distinguished as 
much by the boldness of its paradoxes as by the perfection of its 
style. Its leading idea is, that self-love is the sole moving power 
in all men's acts. 

Rolls or Records. — In England, memorials or authentic testi- 
monies in writing generally inscribed in rolls of parchment, and 
preserved in courts of record, under the custody of the Master 
of the Rolls. 

Roman de la Rose. — The title of the most celebrated French 
production of the Middle Ages. It is a kind of didactic allegorical 
poem, which professes to teach the art of love, and embraces the 
most varied subjects. It presents an extraordinary mixture of 
divinity and profound science, and was considered in France for 
three centuries as a masterpiece. 

Septuagint. — A Greek version of the Old Testament, so called 
because it was the work of seventy or rather seventy-two inter- 
preters. This translation from the Hebrew is supposed to have 
been made in the reign and by the order of Ptolemy Philadelphus, 
king of Egypt, about 270 B.C. 

Talmud. — -The traditionary or unwritten law of the Jews. It 
is, in fact, the interpretation which the rabbins affix to the law 
of Moses, which embodies their doctrine, policy, and ceremonies, 
and to which many of them adhere more than to the law itself. 



274 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Utopia. — A name invented by Sir Thomas More, and intended 
to signify " No place," applied by him to an imaginary island 
■which he represents as discovered in 1514, and describes as being 
governed by laws and political axioms, which are perfection. By 
contrasting this imaginary state with those actually existing, 
More contrives to satirize keenly the vices, absurdities, and 
corruptions of Europe. 

Vedas. — The name of four religious books, considered to be 
the most ancient compositions known in India ; they are respec- 
tively entitled the Yagur, Big, Sama, and Atharva, and are 
appropriated to four different classes of the Brahmins. They 
are known only to a few learned persons. 

Vulgate. — A very ancient Latin version of the Scriptures, 
which was translated from the Greek of the Septuagint. It is the 
only one acknowledged as authentic by the Church of Home. 

Zendavesta. — Among the Parsees, a sacred book ascribed to 
Zoroaster, and reverenced as a Bible or sole rule of faith and 
practice. It is sometimes called Zend, by contraction. 



LITEEATURE, ART, SCIENCE, ETC. 275 



SEGTIOIT XHX. 

LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, DISCOVERIES, 
INVENTIONS, etc 

Academy, Royal. — An institution established in London in 
1768. It comprises forty of the most distinguished artists, with 
a president, and is under the patronage of the sovereign. 

Aldine Editions. — The name given to the works which pro- 
ceeded from, the press of Aldus Manutius and his descendants, 
Italian printers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. They 
are recommended for their intrinsic value, as well as their 
splendid exterior, and have gained the respect of scholars, and 
the attention of book collectors. To Aldus Manutius is attri- 
buted the invention of Italic types. 

Alexandrian Library. — A celebrated collection of books, 
formed and maintained by the first Ptolemy, king of Egypt, and 
his successors ; it derived its name from Alexandria, the quarter 
in which it was situated. This library was burnt in the siege of 
Alexandria by Julius Csesar, in the year 48 B.C., when 500,000 
volumes were destroyed; it was afterwards restored, and, as 
generally asserted, was finally destroyed by the Caliph Omar, 640. 

Alexandrian ScliOOl. — A school for literature and learning in 
every department, instituted at Alexandria by Ptolemy, son of 
Lagus, and supported by his successors. The grammarians and 
mathematicians of this school were particularly celebrated. 

Alexandrine Yerse.' — A species of verse so called from having, 
been first employed, according to some authorities, in a French 
translation by Alexander cle Paris, of a Latin poem called the 
Alexandriad ; according to others in an original work in the 
former language on the life of Alexander the Great, composed 
principally by the same poet. It consists of twelve syllables, sub- 



276 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: 

ject to the rule that its sixth syllable shall always terminate 
a word. 

Alphonsine Tables. — Celebrated astronomical tables, composed 
under the direction of Alphonso, king of Castile, in 1252. He is 
stated to have expended 400,000 crowns in completing them. 
The principal object of this production was to correct the astrono- 
mical tables found in Ptolemy's Almagest, which then no longer 
agreed with the course of the planetary system. 

Anacreontic Yerse. — A name given to poetry written in the 
style of the Greek poet Anacreon, whose subjects are usually 
love, pleasure, and wine. The name is also given to such verses 
as are composed in the ordinary measure of Anacreon, consisting 
of seven syllables. 

Anson's Yoyage round the World. — Commodore Anson was 
appointed to the expedition in 1740. In the September of that 
year he set sail, doubled Cape Horn in March, 1741, touched at 
Juan Fernandez, approached the Spanish coast, set sail across 
the Pacific, and arrived at the Ladrone Islands, thence proceeded 
to Macao, steered back to the Straits of Manilla, returned to 
China, and proceeded by the Cape of G-ood Hope to England, 
where he arrived June 15, 1744, thus completing the circum- 
navigation of the world. 

Aqua Toffania. — The name of a celebrated poison prepared by 
a woman of the name of Tophana, who resided first at Palermo, 
and afterwards at Naples. It is generally supposed to have been 
a preparation of arsenic. This infamous woman, when put to 
the rack before her execution, confessed that she had destroyed 
upwards of six hundred persons with it. She sold it chiefly to 
women who wished to get rid of their husbands. 

Arabesque. — This name is intended to mean simply in the 
Arabian manner, and is a French form of that expression. The 
mode of enrichment which it refers to, was practised in the 
decoration of their structures by the Moors, Saracens, or Arabians 
of Spain. The term "Arabesque " is more applied to painted than 
to sculptured ornament, though it is not restricted to the former. 

Arabic Figures. — The numeral characters, now commonly used 
in Europe, were so called from the supposition that they originated 



LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, ETC. 277 

with the Arabian astronomers ; the honour of the invention, 
however, appears to belong to the Indians. It is generally ad- 
mitted that the Arabic figures were introduced into Europe by 
the Moors during their occupation of Spain ; but there seems to 
be considerable uncertainty as to the time when they became 
known in France and the neighbouring countries. Arabic 
figures are sunposed to have been first used in England in the 
tenth century. 

Archimedes' Screw.— An apparatus employed by Archimedes, 
the famous Greek geometer, for raising water and draining land 
in Egypt. It consists of a large tube coiled round a shaft of 
wood to keep it in place, and give it support. Both ends of the 
tube are open, the lower one being dipped into the water to be 
raised, and the upper one discharging it in an intermittent stream. 
The shaft turns-on a support at each end, the upper support 
being elevated in the air, the lower being hidden beneath 
the water. 

Arrow-headed Characters.— A name given to those characters 
which have been discovered at Babylon and Nineveh, and which 
in many cases are found so as to present a figure not unlike a 
very open barbed arrow-head. 

Belles Lettres, or Polite Literature, as it is denominated in 
English, embraces grammar, logic, rhetoric, poetry, music, 
mathematics, and the learned languages. 

Black Letter. — The name applied to the old English or modern 
Gothic letter, which was introduced into England about the middle 
of the fourteenth century, and became the character generally 
used in manuscript works before the art of printing was publicly 
practised in Europe. 

Blue Stocking. — This term, applied to literary ladies, originated 
from a society denominated the " Blue Stocking Club," in which 
females were admitted ; and so called owing to a Mr. Benjamin 
Stillingfleet, one of its acting members, wearing blue stockings. 

Bodleian Library. — A celebrated public library, founded by 
Sir Thomas Bodley, and established at the University of Oxford 
in 1612. 

Buskin. — A term often used synonymously with tragedy. It 



278 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

originated in a kind of stocking or boot which actors anciently 
wore when performing tragedy. 

Cardinal Points.— The four points or divisions of the horizon ; 
namely, North, East, West, and South. 

Classics. — A term applied to the writings of Greek and Koman 
authors, generally acknowledged as standard authorities. 

Cottonian Library. — A library collected in London by Sir 
Robert Bruce Cotton, and secured to the public by a statute in 
1700 ; after being impaired by conflagrations and political dis- 
turbances, it was deposited in the British Museum. 

Dead Languages. — Those languages, which are no longer 
spoken or in common use by any nation or community of people, 
and which are known only in writings. Under this name are 
principally included the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. 

Death, Dance of.— An allegorical picture, in which are repre- 
sented the various figures and appearances of death in the different 
relations of life, as a dance where Death takes the lead. The 
idea appears to be originally German, and to belong to poetry. 
In later times, it was used also in England and France by 
poets and artists. The most celebrated composition of this 
name is a piece painted by or ascribed to the celebrated 
Hans Holbein. 

Delphin Classics. — A name given to the edition of the Latin 
classics, prepared and commented upon by thirty-nine of the most 
famous scholars of the day, at the suggestion of Louis the Four- 
teenth, for the benefit of his young son, the Dauphin (in usum 
Delphini), under the superintendence of his preceptors. 

Doric Dialect. — One of the four dialects employed among the 
Greeks ; first used by the Lacedaemonians, particularly those of 
Argos. 

Dutch School. — A style of painting remarkable for its fidelity to 
nature, and at the same time-notably deficient in elegance and refine- 
ment. The subjects are usually commonplace ; the ideas vulgar, 
and the figures local and wanting in comprehensiveness. Its 
great merit is the truthfulness both of drawing and colouring of 
what was before the eye of the artist. Rembrandt was at the 
head of the school ; and among other eminent names, may be 



LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, ETC. 279 

enumerated Heemskirk, Wouvermans, Gerard Dow, Mieris, and 
Vandervelde. 

Elizabethan. — Pertaining to Queen Elizabeth of England, or 
to the period in which she reigned. 

Elzevir Editions. — A name given to certain editions of the 
classics printed by a family named Elzevir, residing at Amsterdam 
and Leyden, and principally published from 1595 to 1680. These 
works are celebrated for the careful manner and elegant style in 
which they are printed. 

Etruscan Ware. — Pottery ware produced by the Etruscans 
from twenty-five to thirty centuries, and remarkable for its 
completeness and exquisite finish. These specimens belong to 
three different periods of art, each exhibiting its peculiar style. 

Fescennine Verses. — So called from the town of Fescennia, in 
Etruria, where they were first used. They were in the form of a 
dialogue between two persons, who satirize and ridicule each 
other's failings and vices. 

Flemish School.— Took its rise from Schoreel, a pupil of Albert 
Durer, born 1495. It excels in colouring and imitation of nature. 

Florentine School. — A school of .painting founded by Giovani 
Cimabue, who was born 1240. It is characterized for boldness 
and elevation of style ; but is deficient in colouring and grace. 

Franklin's Expedition. — The unfortunate expedition to the 
Arctic Seas, under the command of Sir John Franklin, set sail 
March 23rd, 1845, and never returned ; Franklin's remains and 
those of his companions have been since discovered. 

Galvanism. — The discovery of this interesting branch of science 
is generally attributed to Lewis Galvani, professor of anatomy, at 
Bologna. It appears that some skinned frogs happened to be 
lying on a table in Galvani's laboratory, on which was placed an 
electrical machine, when the point of the scalpel being brought 
in contact with the nerves of the animal, it became immediately 
convulsed, and exhibited the same phenomena upon being sub- 
mitted to repeated experiments. An account of this was pub- 
lished by Galvani in 1791. 

Gazette. — It is related that the first news-pamphlet, published 
at Venice, was called Gazetta, from a coin then current of 



280 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

that name, which was the ordinary price paid for it ; the period 
of the publication of this paper is not precisely known, the 
earliest gazette noticed being one published at Paris, 1631, by 
Theophrast Renaudot, in his office of Court Newsman. The first 
gazette published in England was -the Oxford one, dated Novem- 
ber 7, 1665, where the Court then was. On the removal of the 
Court to London, the title was changed to the " London Gazette," 
first published February 5, 1666. The " Oxford Gazette " was 
published on Tuesdays, and the " London Gazette " on Saturdays ; 
and this continued till June, 1826, when the "London Gazette" 
was ordered to be published for the future on Friday, and after- 
wards on Tuesday and Friday. The " London Gazette " is 
published under the direction of Government, and all notices and 
proclamations in it are considered as official. 

Georgics. — The name of Virgil's pastoral poems, and one 
applied generally to themes treating of husbandry. 

Giotto's O. — This proverbial expression has arisen as follows : — 
When Pope Benedict the Ninth determined upon decorating the 
Church of St. Peter, he sent a person to the various Florentine 
painters, for the purpose of procuring from each some specimen 
of his art. When Giotto was thus applied to, he drew a circle 
upon a sheet of paper, at one stroke, and with geometrical 
accuracy. The messenger objected to this as a design ; but the 
painter persisted in sending it, and nothing else. The Pope 
understood something of painting, and, when the circumstance 
was made known to him, he easily comprehended by this, how 
greatly Giotto excelled the other painters of his time. He was 
accordingly sent for to Rome, and executed many pieces for St. 
Peter's Church. From that time, it became customary to express 
perfect rotundity by the proverb of " as round as Giotto's ©." 

Greek Fire. — This destructive compound was invented by Calli- 
machus, an engineer of Heliopolis, in Syria, and first made use of 
in a naval engagement with the Saracens, in 660. This fire is 
described as a kind of liquid, forced out of a pump, through 
pipes, against the enemy, and as possessing the power of burning 
with greater violence under water than above it. The Greeks, by 
various precautions, were enabled to keep the secret of its 



LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, ETC. 281 

composition to themselves for a period of 400 years, till, at 
length, it was either discovered by or communicated to the 
Mohammedans, who, during the Crusades, employed it with such 
success against the Christians, that it then assumed the new 
appellation of Saracen Fire. It was, however, finally superseded 
by the still more destructive discovery of gunpowder ; and the 
composition of the ancient Greek Fire is now totally unknown. 

Guillotine. — This instrument derives its name from a Dr. 
Guillotin, a distinguished physician in Paris, and a person who 
embraced with ardour the cause of the Revolution, and was 
elected one of the deputies of the National Assembly. After it 
had been decided that crimes were personal, Guillotin proposed to 
substitute decapitation for other punishments, on the ground that, 
in the opinion of Frenchmen, that species of death did not attach 
infamy to the family of the criminal. The proposition was 
adopted ; its author then pointed out a machine, which had long 
been known, as proper for the infliction of death without giving 
protracted pain to the sufferer. The name of Guillotin thus 
became associated with the machine which he had recommended, 
but of which he was certainly not the inventor. After the 
termination of his political career, Guillotin resumed the 
functions of a physician, and died in 1814, aged seventy-six. 

Hahnemann, Disciples of. — Those who practise or place faith 
in the system of medicine called Homoeopathy. The founder of 
this system was Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician. In 
1810, he produced a work explanatory of his method, and followed 
it up by visiting Paris and other large cities, where he carried on 
an extensive practice, and succeeded in procuring for Homoeopathy 
a recognition as a distinct branch of the healing art. He died in 
1843. 

Harleian MSS. — A valuable and extensive collection of manu- 
scripts, made by Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford, who died in 
1724. The collection is now deposited in the British Museum. 

Heroic Verse. — Verse written in hexameters (six feet), and so 
called because it was used by the ancient poets to celebrate the 
achievements of their heroes. 

Hieroglyphics. — These consist in certain symbols which are 



282 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

made to stand for invisible objects, on some analogy which such 
symbols were supposed to bear to the objects : Egypt was the 
country where this kind of writing was most practised. In it was 
conveyed all the boasted knowledge of their priests. According 
to the properties which they ascribed to animals, they chose them 
to be the emblems of moral objects. 

Horse-Power. — This term, applied relatively to steam-power 
was first adopted by Watt, the inventor of the steam-engine. He 
ascertained that the average force exerted by the strongest horse 
in one of the London breweries, was sufficient to raise 33,0001bs. 
one foot high in a minute. In modern practice, however, owing 
to various modifications and allowances made for friction and 
other causes, the term "horse-power" has ceased to bear its 
original definite meaning. It now refers rather to the size of the 
cylinder than to the power exerted ; and the value of the unit of 
force has been so varied, that a horse-power may imply 
52,0001bs., 60,0001bs., or even 66,0Q01bs. raised one foot high per 
minute. 

Hudiforastic. — Pertaining to Hudibras, or doggerel verse, like 
that in which Butler's " Hudibras " was composed. 

Iliad.— The name of an ancient epic poem on the subject of 
the taking of Troy, being the first and best of the epics composed 
by Homer. The Iliad is divided into twenty-four books or 
rhapsodies, which are marked with the letters of the alphabet. 

Ionic Dialect. — The softest of the four written varieties of the 
Greek language, and was spoken in the Ionian colonies of Asia 
Minor, and in several of the islands of the iEgean Sea. 

Jesuit's Bark. — A valuable medicine introduced into Europe 
about the year 1643, and, being strongly recommended by the 
Cardinal de Lugo, of the Order of Jesuits, was, from him, named 
Jesuit's bark. The use of it as a cure for intermittent and other 
fevers, had been long known to the inhabitants of Peru, and it was 
therefore called Peruvian bark ; but it was not in much repute 
among European settlers, till its efficacy had been fully esta- 
blished in the cure of the Countess del Cinchon, the wife of the 
Spanish Viceroy, from a dangerous fever ; from which circum- 



LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, ETC. 



stance it was for some time called the Cinchona bark. It was 

brought to England in the year 1650. 
Keri-Cetib. — In Biblical literature, a word used to denote 

various readings : Keri signifying that which is read, and Cetib 

that which is written. Where any such wrong readings occur, 

the wrong reading is written in the text, and that is called cetib; 

and the supposed true reading is written in the margin with ^[ 

under it, and called Keri. 

Leonine Verses. — A kind of measure much in vogue during 

the Middle Ages, in which the middle of the verse generally 

rhymed with the final syllable. The term is said to be derived 

from Leoninus, a monk of the twelfth century. 

Leyden Jar. — The accumulation of the electric power by 

means of coated jars, was discovered by M. Von Kleist, Dean 

of the Cathedral of Commun, in 1745. An experiment of a 
similar kind, though uncler improved circumstances, was afterwards 

made at Leyden, by Mr. Cuneus, which being attended with 
signal success, procured for it the name of the Leyden Jar. 

Lingua Franca. — A dialect made up of corrupt Italian mixed 
with other words ; the language spoken between the inhabitants 
of the coast of North Africa and the Levant and the Europeans. 

Lombard and Bolognese Schools.— These schools, generally 
regarded as one, were founded by Correggio, who nourished about 
1520. The distinguishing characteristics are a seductive and 
voluptuous, though perhaps somewhat overcharged grace in the 
figures and attitudes, and an exquisite harmony in the colouring. 
Longitude, Discovery of the. — In 1762, John Harrison 
received the Parliamentary reward of £10,000 for this discovery. 
It consisted of an improvement upon the previously existing 
balance or pendulum spring, by forming it of different metals, 
which, by opposing each other, checked the alteration on its 
rate of motion which would otherwise arise from the change of 
climate, and thus first established a regular horological machine 
of such perfection, as to determine the difference of longitude 
of places with great accuracy. 
Low Butch and High Dutch. — Terms used improperly for 



284 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Dutch and German. The two languages are quite distinct, and 
the confusion probably arises from the circumstance, that the 
proper name of German is Deutscli, i.e. Teutonic ; which led to 
the Germans and Dutch being considered as one nation. 

Lydian Measure. — In ancient music, the order of the sounds 
forming what may in modern language be termed the scales. 

Lyrics.— The name given to those verses which are commonly 
used in lyrical poetry, and were formerly adapted for accompani- 
ment upon the lyre. Such are those of Pindar, of Horace's odes, 
and of the tragic and comic choruses. 

Macaronic Verse. — A kind of burlesque poetry in which the 
words of a modern language are ludicrously distorted into Greek 
or Latin inflections. 

Mercator's Chart.— A projection of the globe of the earth 
wherein the degrees upon the meridian increase towards the poles 
in the same proportion that the parallel circles of latitude decrease 
towards them ; so called from Gerard Kaufmann (who Latinised 
his name to Mercator), a German geographer, its inventor. 

Moresque. — A term used in architecture and painting to denote 
the style of the Moors. It consists of numerous grotesque em- 
bellishments and compartments, apparently associated promis- 
cuously, but displaying no figure of either man or animal. 

Mosaic Work. — This beautiful method of cementing various 
kinds of stones, glass, &c, seems to have originated in Persia, 
whence it found its way into Greece in the time of Alexander, 
and into Eome about 170 B.C. 

Napier's Bones. — The name given to a contrivance put forth 
by Napier, a celebrated Scottish mathematician, to facilitate the 
performance of multiplication and division. These so-called 
bones were rods of a certain length, and with figures disposed 
upon them in such a manner that, when placed in proper order, 
side by side, they would show certain results. 

Neck Verse. — The name formerly given to the verse which 
prisoners were called upon to read, when they pleaded Benefit of 
Clergy. It is the first verse of the Fifty-first Psalm, Miserere mei 
Deus. The meaning of the term was, that it spared the neck of 
the accused from the halter. 



LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, ETC. 285 

Nicotiana. — A name formerly given to tobacco, from Jean 
Nicot, the French ambassador at the Portuguese court, who, in 
1559, sent some seeds of tobacco to his own country, which were 
cultivated under the above name. 

Niger Expedition.— A naval expedition to explore the African 
river Niger, sent out from Great Britain in 1841. 

Normal Schools. — Schools for the education of persons intended 
to become instructors, teachers, or professors in any department. 
Normal schools (i.e. proceeding on first principles, from Latin 
norma, a rule) form a regular part of the establishments for 
education in many continental states, especially Germany. 

North-West Passage, Attempt to discover the.— Undertaken 
by Captain Cook, in 1776, for the purpose of discovering a north- 
west passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. He arrived 
at the Friendly Islands in the spring of 1777, and having thence 
proceeded northward, he discovered the Sandwich Islands. He 
then reached the west coast of North America; thence he pro- 
ceeded to the extreme north point of the Pacific, and from thence 
sailed for Behring's Straits, where he ascertained the position 
of the most westerly point of America ; proceeding northward, 
he was stopped by the ice, returned to winter in the Sandwich 
Islands, and was there treacherously murdered by the natives. 

Odyssey. — The name of the celebrated epic poem written by 
Homer about 900 years before Christ, so called from Ulysses, or 
Odysseus, being the hero whose adventures after the siege of 
Troy are therein related. 

Opisthograplmm. — Among the ancients, a roll of parchment or 
paper, or a set of tickets, answering the purpose of a memorandum 
book to enter notes or other matters to be revised afterwards. 

Orrery. — In the year 1715 George Graham invented a machine 
for Prince Eugene, which represented the annual and diurnal 
motions of the earth, and the synodic period of the moon. One 
Rowley, a workman, constructed from its model a similar machine, 
with the addition of the planetary movements for the Earl of 
Orrery ; hence its name. 

Overland Eoute. — A mail route between England and India r 
established by the energetic Lieutenant Waghorn, in 1847, 



286 THE HISTOEICAL FINGER-POST : 

by whicli a saving of thirteen days was effected in the whole 
journey. 

Parian Chronicle. — So called from the Island of Paros, where 
it was found. It forms one of the Arundel collection, and is 
remarkable for containing a register of the principal events in 
the history of Ancient Greece. 

Pentingerian. — An epithet applied to designate a map of the 
roads of the ancient Roman world, found written on parchment 
in a library at Speyer, in the fifteenth century ; so called by the 
proprietor, Conrad Cettes, after his friend Conrad Pentinger, who 
began to prepare a copy of it for publication, but died in 1547 
before he could effect his purpose. 

Pepysian Library. — The valuable collection of manuscripts of 
naval memoirs, prints, and ancient English poetry, bequeathed to 
Magdalen College, Cambridge, by Samuel Pepys, secretary to 
the Admiralty in the reigns of Charles the Second, and James the 
Second. 

Phoenician Language. — This was a dialect of the Hebrew, 
and the same with that of the ancient Canaanites. Their alphabet 
consisted of the same number of letters as the Hebrew. The 
letters were the same with the most ancient form of Hebrew, 
and from these originated all the alphabets of the countries in 
the West. 

Pindaric Poetry. — Poetry replete with force and fire, but 
irregular in its numbers. It derives its name from Pindar, a 
celebrated Greek poet. 

Port Royal. — The name of a once-celebrated convent in France ; 
with it were connected several persons eminent for learning, and 
under its name and supervision numerous educational works were 
published, which were translated into all the languages of Europe, 
and obtained a wide circulation. 

Pre-Raphaelite. — The name for a school of artists which has 
recently arisen in England, who profess to imitate the style of art 
which characterized the painters before the lime of Raphael ; from 
which circumstance they have assumed that name. 

Raphael's Cartoons. — Certain large drawings executed by 



LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, ETC. 287 

Raphael d'Urbino, and sent to Flanders in the reign of Pope 
Leo the Tenth, to be copied in tapestry in two sets. These 
cartoons, twenty-five in number, after the tapestries were finished, 
were left neglected at Brussels, and most of them were either 
lost or destroyed. Seven of them were rescued and sent to 
England, and are now to be seen at Hampton Court Palace. 

Renaissance. — Literally the revival of anything which has long 
lain dormant or extinct. In the fine arts it is specially applied 
to the style of architecture and decoration which prevailed in 
the early part of the sixteenth century. 

Roman School. — Commenced with Raphael, who was born 1482. 
It fails in colouring, and in light and shade ; but, by the study 
of nature and the antique, it carries invention and design to a high 
standard. Its heads are justly admired for their sublime beauty. 

Eomaiice. — Upon the return of the Crusaders, a new species 
of literature was introduced into England. This consisted of 
the history of Charlemagne and his twelve peers, and similar 
other works. It was called Romance because it was originally 
written in the Gallic idiom, a barbaric corruption of the ancient 
language of Rome. 

Ross's Voyages. — Undertaken by Sir John Ross to discover a 
north-west passage ; the first from 1816 to 1818, the second 
from 1829 to 1833. 

Runic Alphabet. — This alphabet, peculiar to the ancient 
Northern tribes of Europe, is considered by some authorities to 
have existed before the Christian era, by others to have originated 
later. 

Saturnian Verses.— A form of verse employed by the Romans 
in their early satirical compositions, consisting of six feet and a 
syllable additional. They were so called because they were 
usually composed to afford entertainment at the Saturnalia. 

Scandinavian Language. — A dialect of the Gothic, once 
common to the whole north-western portion of Europe beyond 
the Baltic, but now confined to Iceland, where it has undergone 
little change since the ninth century. 

Science, The Five Follies of.— These are usually said to be 



288 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST i 

the following : — The squaring of the circle ; the establishment 
of perpetual motion ; the philosopher's stone ; charmation, or 
the discovering of secrets by magic ; and judicial astrology. 

Sclavonic Language. — A dialect spoken by the Sclavi, a people 
who inhabited the country between the rivers Save and Drave : 
hence the term is applied to the language spoken by the Poles, 
Russians, Hungarians, Bohemians, &c. 

Semitic Languages. — One of the great families of languages, 
comprising, the Aramsean, the Babylonian, the Syriac, the Arabic, 
&c. 
Seven Liberal Arts. — Another name for Belles Lettres. 
Silhouette. — A term for the representation of the outlines of 
an object filled with black colour, in which the inner lines are 
sometimes slightly drawn in white. The name is derived from 
Etienne de Silhouette, French minister of finance in 1759. He 
endeavoured, by severe economy, to remedy the evils of a war 
which had just terminated, leaving the country in a state of 
extreme exhaustion. At the end of nine months, he was obliged 
to resign his office. During this period, all the fashions in Paris 
took the character of parsimony. Coats without folds were 
worn, snuff-boxes were made of plain wood, and instead of 
painted portraits, outlines only were drawn in profile, and filled 
in with Indian ink. All these fashions were called a la Silhouette; 
but the name remained only in the case of the profiles; because 
the ease with which they may be drawn or cut out of black paper 
made them popular till they were superseded by photography. 

Sock. — A word which sometimes stands for comedy, from the 
name of a high shoe worn by actors in the ancient drama, when 
representing comic characters. 

Spinning Jenny.— Sir Richard Arkwright, the inventor of the 
improved spinning machinery, named it " Jenny," after his wife 
Jane. 

Troy Weight and Avoirdupois. — Troy weight was intro- 
duced into England by William the Conqueror, from Troyes, 
a town in the province of Champagne, France. The English 
were dissatisfied with this weight, because it did not weigh so 
much as the pound in use at that time in England. Hence, arose 



LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, ETC. 289 

the term avoir (lupoids, which was a medium between the French 
and English weights. 

Tynan Dye. — The purple fabrics of the Tyrians were cele- 
brated from very remote antiquity. The Tyrian purple was not 
a single colour, but was a general name for all the shades of 
purple and scarlet. 

Vandyke. — A style of personal decoration, characterized by 
indentations and points, as seen in the portraits of persons 
painted by Van Dyck, a celebrated artist of the time of Charles 
the First. 

Variorum Editions. — Certain editions of ancient and modern 
Latin and Greek authors, published mostly in Holland in the 
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and containing the notes 
of many commentators. These editions are more sought for by 
the curious than valued by the scholar. 

Varronian Satire. — So called from the learned Varro, who 
first composed it. It was written freely, without any restraint of 
verse or prose, consisting of an admixture of both. 

Venetian School. — The head of this school was the great 
Titian, born in 1478. It forsook the study of the antique, and 
excelled in its imitation of nature, and its richness of colouring. 

Virgilian Husbandry. — A system of agriculture practised by 
the Romans, and described in the Georgics of Virgil. It con- 
sisted in taking two or three crops in succession, and afterwards 
allowing the land to lie fallow for several years, when it was 
broken up again, and sometimes prepared by paring and burning. 
This kind of agriculture was pursued in Great Britain until the 
middle of the eighteenth century, when it was supplanted by 
the system now generally adopted, of keeping arable land con- 
tinually under culture, by alternately growing corn and pulse. 

Watteau, \ la. — A phrase indicative of the style of painting 
peculiar to Anthony Watteau, a French painter, who was re- 
markably successful in depicting balls, masquerades, out-of-door 
fetes, and pastoral subjects. His touch and colouring set the 
fashion, and he had a crowd of imitators, who painted after the 
manner of, or a la Watteau. 



290 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST 



SECTIOIT XXI. 

INSIGNIA, EMBLEMS, OEDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD, etc. 

Apocalyptic Knights.— A society formed in 1693, professedly 
for the defence of the Soman Catholic Church against Anti- 
christ. There were about eighty knights belonging to this order r 
most of whom were tradesmen and labourers ; they wore con- 
stantly a sword by their side and a star upon their breast. This 
star had a tail, representing the sword spoken of by St. John in the 
Apocalypse. The eccentricities and fanaticism of these men led 
to their being regarded as maniacs ; they were at length placed 
in confinement, and the order was suppressed. 

Banneret. — An ancient order of knighthood, being the pro- 
motion of the knight bachelor by honouring him with a square 
banner instead of a streamer, and thus placing common knights 
and esquires under his command : part of the ceremony consisted 
in cutting off the end of the streamer, thereby making it a square 
banner. A knight banneret created by the king in person ranked 
next after barons, and had precedence of the younger sons of 
viscounts. 

Bath, Order of the. — The institution of the " Order of the 
Bath " originated in the custom of the Pranks, who, when they 
conferred knighthood, bathed before they performed the cere- 
mony ; and from this habit came the title of " Knights of the 
Bath." Henry the Fourth instituted a degree of knighthood 
of the Bath ; and on his coronation, in the Tower, he conferred 
the order upon forty-six esquires, who had watched during the 
night before and had bathed. 

Bays. — An honorary garland or crown, bestowed as a prize 
for victory or excellence, anciently made or consisting of 
branches of the laurel. 



INSIGNIA, EMBLEMS, ETC. 291 

British Lion. — The national emblem of England, in honour 
of the strength and power of the country. From the time of 
William the Conqueror to the reign of Henry the Second, the 
standard of England displayed two lions ; after that three. 

Broad Arrow. — This mark, placed on Government stores, &c, 
represents the Pheon, the well-known arms of the Sydney family. 
Henry, Viscount Sydney, was master-general of the Ordnance 
from 1698 to 1702, 

Cap of Liberty.— This symbol is of very ancient origin. 
When Saturninus took possession of the Capitol of Eome in 
100 B.C., he raised a cap on the point of a spear, as a token of 
Liberty to all slaves who would join him. Marius used the 
same expedient to gain the assistance of the slaves in his expe- 
dition against Sylla : and upon the assassination of Julius Caesar, 
the conspirators marched out in a body, with a cap, as the ensign 
of Liberty, carried before them on a spear. Slaves were doomed 
to go bareheaded as one of the marks of bondage ; hence the 
wearing of a cap was regarded by them as a privilege. 

Cap of Maintenance. — One of the insignia of royalty, carried 
before the sovereign of Great Britain at the coronation, and on 
other solemn occasions. 

Chivalry. — The name anciently given to knighthood, a military 
dignity ; also the martial exploits and qualifications of a knight. 
The origin of chivalry may be traced to the people of the northern 
nations who settled in Europe on the decline of the Roman empire, 
and whose martial tastes and habits led them to make valour 
and prowess the only sources of honour and distinction. 

Cincinnati, Order of. — An association established at the 
termination of the American war, among the officers of the revo- 
lutionary army, in allusion to the transition made by most of them 
from agricultural to military pursuits ; the order took its name from 
Cmcinnatus, the Roman Dictator, 456 B.C. The society was styled 
an " Order," and an external badge was provided, of a character 
similar to those worn by the knights and other privileged orders 
of Europe. It was, moreover, provided that the eldest son of 
every deceased member should be a member also ; and that the 
privilege should be transmitted by descent for ever. In spite of 

L 2 



292 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

this idea of perpetuation, the society gradually declined, and is 
now almost if not quite extinct. (Y " 

Civic Crown. — A garland composed of oak-leaves, which was 
bestowed upon a Eoman soldier when he saved the life of a 
citizen. 

Crescent. — This was the symbol of the city of Byzantium, now 
Constantinople, which device the Turks have adopted. This 
device of the Ottoman empire is of great antiquity, as appears 
from several medals, and took its rise from an event related 
by Stephanus the geographer, a native of Byzantium. He tells 
us that Philip, the father of Alexander the Great, meeting with 
great difficulties in carrying on the siege of that city, set the 
workmen, on a very dark night, to undermine the walls, that 
his troops might enter the city without being perceived ; but y 
luckily for the besieged, the moon appeared, and the design was 
thereby frustrated. In acknowledgment of this deliverance, the 
Byzantines erected a statue to Diana ; and thus, the crescent 
became their symbol. 

Crosier. — A staff surmounted by a cross, borne before an 
archbishop. The pastoral staff, or bishop's staff, with which it 
is often confounded, was in the form of a shepherd's crook, 
intended to admonish the prelate to be a true spiritual shepherd. 
Cross and Ball. — A symbol usually associated with Egyptian 
statues and figures. It is compounded of the circle, signifying 
preserver of the world ; while the wisdom which governs it is 
represented by the monogram of Mercury, Thoth, or Pthah. The 
archetype of this symbol is supposed to have been a key ; which 
has been termed the " Key of the Nile." 

Dannebrog. — The name of an ancient Danish order of knight- 
hood, supposed to have been founded in 1219. It was revived in 
1693, and re-constituted in 1808. 

Eagle. — The origin of the device of the eagle on national and 
royal banners may be traced to very early times. It was the 
ensign of the ancient kings of Persia and Babylon. The Romans 
made the eagle the ensign of their legions. From the Romans, 
the French, under the Empire, adopted the eagle. Almost every 
state that has assumed the designation of an empire, has taken 



INSIGNIA, EMBLEMS, ETC. 293 

the eagle for its ensign, as Austria, Kussia, Prussia, Poland, 
and France. The two-headed eagle signifies a double empire. 
The emperors of Austria and Russia, who claim to be considered 
the successors of the Caesars of Rome, use the double-headed 
eagle, which is that of the Eastern emperors combined with 
that of the Western. 

Equestrian Order. — Among the Romans, a body of mounted 
guards or knights, who were favoured with peculiar privileges. 
They received from the State a horse, a gold ring, and a narrow 
strip of purple on the tunic ; they were assigned particular seats 
upon public occasions. At first, their duty was, to serve the 
Republic in time of war ; but, at a later period, they became 
judges, as well as " farmers" of the public revenues. Every fifth 
year, the Censor held a review of the Equites, as they were 
termed, on which occasion they passed before him, leading their 
horses. If any one of their number had been guilty of an 
offence, even if it was only the neglect of his horse, the Censor 
ordered it to be sold, which was equivalent to degrading the 
knight from the Order. Others, who had committed slighter 
offences, for which they were to be deprived of their rank, 
were omitted in the list which was read aloud by the 
Censor. 

Fleece, Order of the. — One of the oldest and most honourable 
orders in Europe ; was established by Philip the Third, of Bur- 
gundy, at Bruges, 1430, on the occasion of his marriage witli his 
third wife, Isabella, daughter of King John the First, of Portugal. 
The name was taken from the golden fleece of the Argonaut 
Jason ; and the object of the order was, the ^protection of the 
Church. 

Fleur-de-Lis. — The lily of France, represented in gold on a blue 
ground ; supposed to typify the flower sacred to the " Blessed 
Virgin," and in its three-fold form recalling the greatest mystery 
of the Christian faith. 

Fruitful Palm, Order of the. — A species of chivalrous insti- 
tution founded in Germany in 1617, for the preservation and culture 
of the German language. This body is said to have L effected 
considerable advantages, but at length defeated its ends by 



294 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

attempting innovations of too radical a nature. It Avas dissolved 
in 1680. 

Garter, Order of the. — This order, according to ancient 
authors, was instituted by Richard Cceur de Lion, who, accompa- 
nied only by twenty-six knights, was surrounded by a large party 
of Saracens near Acre, and but for this faithful and valiant band, 
would have fallen into the enemy's hands. To commemorate this 
exploit, the king directed that these knights should be distin- 
guished by a thong of blue leather below the knee, which he 
himself also wore, and afterwards the company received the name 
of the Knights of the Blue Thong. In the year 1344, Edward 
the Third made a solemn feast in honour of the order, and 
gave to it the motto, " Jloni soit qui mat y pense." This 
order was thenceforward known under the title of the Order 
of St. George till the time of Edward the Sixth, who changed it 
to that of the Garter, and made several alterations in the ritual of 
it, which are still extant. It is considered the most ancient and 
noble order in the world. The college of the order is held at 
Windsor Castle, within the chapel of St. George, the Bishop of 
Winchester being its prelate, the Bishop of Salisbury its chan- 
cellor, and the Dean of Windsor its registrar. 

George. — A figure of St. George on horseback, worn by Knights 
of the Garter. 

Golden Rose.— This is a rose made of gold, which the Pope, 
after having blessed, sends on certain occasions to sovereigns and 
other royal personages. It is, in the first instance, presented to 
the Pope himself— a custom which dates from the pontificate 
of Leo the Ninth. That pontiff, who was elected in 1048, entered 
into a compact with the monastery of Sainte Croix, in Alsace, by 
which the monastery was bound to send a " golden rose " every 
year to the head of the Roman Church. The ceremony of the 
benediction of the rose takes place on the fourth Sunday in Lent. 

Guelphic Order. — A military order instituted in 1815, entitled 
the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order. 

Harp of Ireland. — The origin of the harp in the arms of 
Ireland, is said to be as follows :— On Henry the Eighth being 
presented by the Pope with the harp of Brian Borhu, he was 



INSIGNIA, EMBLEMS, ETC. 295 

induced to change the arms of Ireland, by placing on her coins a 
representation of the relic of her most celebrated native king. 

Honour, Legion of. — An order instituted by Napoleon, while 
consul, in 1802, for civil and military merit. It consists of different 
grades of merit, as grand crosses, crosses, commanders, officers, 
and legionaries, all of whom received pensions with this mark of 
distinction. 

Iron Crown of Lombardy.— A celebrated and ancient crown 
with which the emperors of Germany are crowned. It consists 
of a broad circle of gold set with large precious stones ; the sacred 
iron rim, from which it has its name, was intended to protect the 
monarch in battle. 

Labariim. — In Roman antiquity, the standard or bearer borne 
before the emperors. It consisted of a long lance with a staff on 
the top, crossing it at right angles, from which hung a rich 
streamer of a purple colour, adorned with precious stones. An 
eagle was painted on it previously to the time of Constantine, who 
added a cross and a cypher, expressing the name of Jesus. 

Laurel and Myrtle. — Among the Romans, the laurel was 
employed in the celebration of triumphs ; and the myrtle, upon 
the occasion of an ovation. 

Liveries — For servants and dependants are first noticed under 
the Roman emperors. The royal liveries of England were, under 
the Plantagenets, white and red ; the house of Lancaster, white 
and blue ; of York, murrey -and blue ; of Tudor, white and green ; 
of the Stuarts, yellow and red ; and of Hanover, scarlet and blue. 

Main de Justice, — French for hand of justice ; one of the 
French insignia of royalty, consisting of a staff, at the upper end 
of which, a raised hand is fastened. Napoleon had it among the 
imperial insignia. 

Manipulus.— Among the ancient Romans, a sub-division of 
the cohort, so named from the handful of grass or straw which 
formed their original standard. 

Military Knighthood. — An order of knighthood, which the 
ancient knights acquired by high feats of arms. They are called 
Millies in ancient charters and titles, by which they were distin- 
guished from mere bachelors, &c. These knights were girt with 



296 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: 

a sword, and had a pair of gilt spurs ; whence they were called 
equites aurati. 

Mural Crown. — Among the Romans, a crown given to him 
who first scaled the walls of an enemy's city. 

Kapoleon's Bees. — Napoleon Bonaparte, desirous of having 
some original regal emblem, adopted the Bee, under the follow- 
ing circumstances : — When the tomb of Childeric, the father of 
Clovis, was opened, there were found among other things numerous 
models of what the French heralds mistook for bees ; and these 
were accordingly sprinkled over the imperial robe, as emblema- 
tical of enterprise and activity. It afterwards transpired, that the 
ornaments mistaken for bees were only what in French are called 
fleurons, supposed to have been attached to the harness of the 
war-horse. 

Naval Crown.— A crown which the ancient Romans conferred 
upon him who first boarded an enemy's ship. 

Obsidional Crown. — This was esteemed the highest military 
reward among the Roman soldiery : it was bestowed only for the 
deliverance of an army when reduced to the last extremity. The 
materials from which it was made, were of the humblest, being the 
common grass found growing on the scene of action. 

Olive Branch. — The emblem of peace and good-will ; from the 
olive-branch which the dove bore in its mouth, when despatched 
by the Almighty to Noah's Ark, in token of forgiveness. 

Oriflamnie. — A banner of a goH and red colour which be- 
longed to the abbey of St. Denys, near Paris. The King of France, 
as protector and champion of this abbey, had the Oriflamme 
carried before him at his coronation procession, and in time 
of war. 

Palmetto Flag. — The party ensign of the Southern or Seces- 
sion States of America. It was originally the arms of the State 
of South Carolina, and received its name from the Palmetto tree, 
which grows abundantly in that district. 

Phrygian Bonnet. — This, among the ancients, was the same 
covering now known as the " Cap of Liberty." 

Eed Cap as an Emblem of Revolution.— In the first French 
Revolution, the wearing of a red cap was originally adopted by the 



INSIGNIA, EMBLEMS, ETC. 297 

chief members of the Jacobin Club, and was subsequently -worn 
by the republicans generally. The precise origin of the red cap 
has never been clearly accounted for ; the every-day explanation 
is, that the ancients regarded the cap as an emblem of freedom, 
and red was recommended as the most cheerful colour. One 
authority says, that it first came into use after the release from 
the galleys of the Swiss soldiers of the regiment of Chateau Vieux ; 
the soldiers as galley-slaves wearing red caps, which became the 
symbols of freedom, upon their release. 

Ke& Hand of Ulster. — The tradition respecting the adoption of 
the blood-red hand as the bearing of Ulster is, that on an ancient 
expedition of some adventurers to Ireland, their leader declared 
that whoever first touched the shore should possess the territory 
which he reached. O'Neale, from whom descended the princes 
of Ulster, bent upon obtaining the reward, and seeing another 
boat nearing the land, cut off his hand and cast it ashore. 

Red, White, and Bine.— This tri-coloured flag, which consists 
of a stripe of red, white, and blue, owes its rank as a national em- 
blem to accident. At the first French Revolution a distinguishing 
sign was wanted, and the readiest which occurred was that of the 
colours borne by the city of Paris, blue, and red ; this was forth- 
with adopted, but, to conciliate certain influential members of the 
National Guard who were not hostile to the King, white, the 
colour of the Bourbons, was afterwards added. Louis the Eight- 
eenth did not continue it at the restoration, but the obligation 
to maintain the tri-colour was subsequently engrossed in the 
charters. 

Regalia. — The name given to the costly specimens of jewellery 
belonging to the Crown. In England, the regalia properly so 
called are, the crown, the sceptre royal, the virge, or rod with the 
dove, St. Edward's staff, the orb or mound, the sword of mercy, 
called Curtana, the two swords of spiritual and temporal justice, 
the ring of alliance with the kingdom, the armillae or bracelets, 
the spurs of chivalry, and sundry royal vestments ; all of which, 
with the exception of the vestments, are preserved in the Jewel 
Office of the Tower of London. 

Regular Knighthood. — Applied to all military orders, which 



298 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

profess to wear some particular habit, to bear arms against the 
infidels, to succour and refresh pilgrims in their passage to the 
Holy Land ; such were the Knights Templars, and such still are 
the Knights of Malta. 

St. Catherine, Order of.— This order in modern history belongs 
to ladies of the first quality in the Russian Court. It was insti- 
tuted in 1714, by Catherine, wife of Peter the Great, in commemo- 
ration of his signal escape from the Turks in 1711. 

St. Denis. — The patron saint of France, who is said to have been 
beheaded in the year 252, near Paris. The grotesque legend in 
connection with this saint is that, after the act of decapitation, 
the body rose to its feet, took up the head, and walked with it 
for about two miles, till the saint met with a good woman, into 
whose hands he placed his head. 

St. George of England. — The history of the patron saint of 
England is involved in the profoundest obscurity. Some writers 
identify him with an Arian bishop, in the reigns of Constantinus 
and Julian, who is said to have expiated by martyrdom a life 
of error and cruelty ; Avhile others assert him to have been a 
native of Cappadocia, and an officer of rank in the army of 
Diocletian, and who, professing Christianity, suffered martyrdom 
in the year 290. The cause of his being considered the patron 
saint of England, is said to be his having miraculously appeared 
at the head of a numerous army clothed in white, with a red cross 
for their banner, and putting the Saracens to flight at the siege of 
Antioch, during the first Crusade. 

St. James of Spain. — The patron saint of Spain, and called by 
the Spaniards, Santiago • he is said to have been seen on a white 
horse with a banner in his hand, waving them on to victory in a 
battle with the Moors. 

St. James of the Sword.— A military order in Spain, instituted 
in 1170, by Ferdinand the Second, king of Leon, to stop the 
incursions of the Moors. The knights must prove their descent 
from families that have been noble on both sides for four 
generations, and that their ancestors have been neither Jews, 
Saracens, nor heretics, nor called in question by the Inqui- 
sition. Their vows are those of poverty, obedience, conjugal 



INSIGNIA, EMBLEMS, ETC. 299 

fidelity, and the defence of the immaculate conception of the 
Holy Virgin. 

St. Mark, Winged Lion of— The heraldic hearing of the 
republic of Venice, from St. Mark, the patron saint, whose relics 
were brought to Venice from Alexandria. 

St. Patrick, Order of— An Irish order of knighthood instituted 
by George the Third in 1783. It consists of the sovereign, a 
prince of the blood royal, a grand master, and fifteen knights, 
the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland being grand master. 

St. Patrick.— The patron saint of Ireland, who, according to 
one account, was a shepherd born in Scotland, at Kirkpatrick, on 
the Clyde, or according to another tradition at Boulogne-sur-Mer, 
in the year 373. He undertook the conversion of the then pagan 
Irish, and succeeded in converting the kings of Dublin and 
Minister, and the seven sons of the king of Connaught. He 
fixed his metropolitan see at Armagh, where he founded monas- 
teries and schools. 

Sceptre,— Originally a staff, the emblem of sovereign power. 
In the Greek assemblies a person who wished to speak received 
a sceptre from the herald, and the judges also bore it while in the 
exercise of their authority. Kings swore by the sceptre. By 
degrees it became the emblem of supreme power alone. From 
the Eoman emperors it passed to the Western monarchs. The 
sceptre and ball now form the two most important emblems of 
royal and imperial power. 

Seraphim, Order of the.— An ancient Swedish order of knight- 
hood, instituted in 1334, but dormant from the period of the 
^Reformation until 1748. The number of knights, beside the 
king and members of the royal family, is limited to twenty-four. 

Shamrock.— The shamrock is a wild trefoil, growing in many 
parts of Ireland. The origin of it becoming the Irish badge of 
honour has been variously stated ; the following tradition is, 
however, the most popular :— When St. Patrick landed near 
Wicklow to convert the Irish, in 433, the pagan inhabitants were 
about to stone him ; he requested to be heard, and endeavoured 
to explain God to them as the Trinity in Unity, but they could 
not understand him, till plucking a trefoil, or shamrock, from .the 



300 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

ground, he said, " Is it not as possible for the Father,. Son, and 
Holy Ghost, to be one and the same, as it is for these three leaves 
to grow upon a single stalk?" This illustration carried such 
conviction with it, that the Irish were immediately convinced, 
and became converts to Christianity — at the same time, in memory 
of the event, adopting the shamrock as a badge of honour. 

S. P. Gt. E. — The initials for Senatus Populusque JRomanus, the 
Senate and People of Rome ; another explanation is Senatus 
Populi Quiritium Romanorum, the Senate of the Quiritian Roman 
People. Letters which were inscribed upon the Roman standards 
and other national insignia. 

S S, Collar of. — This collar, which is worn on certain occasions 
by distinguished persons, is said to be derived from Saints Simpli- 
cius and Faustinus, two Roman senators, who suffered martyrdom 
under Diocletian. The religious fraternity of St. Simplicius wore 
silver collars of S S ; between which the collar contained twelve 
small pieces of silver, on which were engraven the twelve articles 
of the Creed, together with a simple trefoil. The image of 
St. Simplicius hung at the collar, and from it seven plates, repre- 
senting the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. This chain or collar 
was worn because these two brethren were martyred by attaching 
a stone with a chain about their necks, and then throwing them 
into the Tiber. 

Stars and Stripes. — The standard of the United States ; the 
flag of the thirteen united colonies was originally symbolised by 
thirteen stripes, alternately white and red ; and the Union by 
thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new galaxy. 
For some time subsequently a fresh stripe was added for each 
new State admitted to the Union, until the flag became too large, 
when, by act of Congress, the stripes were reduced to the old 
thirteen, a star being added to the Union at the accession of each 
new State. 

Strawberry Leaves. — An allusive reference to the coronet of 
a duke, which has eight strawberry-leaves disposed about its rim. 

Thistle, Order of the.— An order founded by Achaius, king of 
Scotland, in 809, upon forming a league of amity with Charlemagne. 
The ensign of the knights is a gold collar composed of thistles, 



INSIGNIA, EMBLEMS, ETC. 301 

linked together with annulets of gold, having pendant thereto 
the image of St. Andrew, and hence also called the Order of - 
.St. Andrew. The origin of this order is variously stated, but it 
can be only traced back to James the Fifth, who borrowed the 
emblem of the thistle and its motto from the Bourbons of France 
in 1540. 

Tiara. — The term applied to the head-dress of the Pope, 
which is worn on solemn occasions, and which consists of a triple 
crown encircling a mitre. It is used in a figurative sense to 
designate the papal dignity. 

Tree of Liberty. — At the time of the disturbances excited in 
the American colonies by the Stamp Act, a large elm was used 
in Boston, upon which to hang obnoxious characters in effigy, 
and to make known the intentions of the revolutionary party. 
The example was imitated in other parts of the country, nearly 
every town having its tree of liberty. On the breaking out of 
the first French Eevolution the same emblem was adopted, a 
tree of liberty being planted by the Jacobins in Paris ; and many 
other cities of France followed their example. In the revolution 
of 1848, trees of liberty were planted in the most frequented 
streets of Paris, but these have been since removed. 

Union Jack. — The etymology of the term Union Jack has 
never been precisely ascertained. It would appear, however, 
that the word "union " arose from the union of the three king- 
doms into one great political power. As an alteration in the 
banner of St. George occurred in the reign of James the First, it 
may, with great probability, be supposed to have been a render- 
ing of the word " Jacobus," abbreviated into Jack. 

Vallar Crown. — Among the Romans, a crown bestowed on the 
general who first entered an enemy's camp. 

Welsh Leek.— The date of the adoption of the leek as the 
national emblem of Wales is uncertain. It appears, however, to 
have been assumed at the Battle of Bosworth, by the body-guard of 
Henry the Seventh, which was mainly composed of Welshmen. 
The Tudor colours were green and white, and were well repre- 
sented by the leek ; but, beyond this, no explanation is given why 
the leek should have been specially adopted as the emblem of Wales. 



302 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

White Elephant, Order of the. — A very ancient Danish order 
of knighthood, supposed to have been instituted by Canute the 
Second, King of Denmark, in 1084. The knights of this order 
are restricted to thirty, besides the members of the royal family. 

Windsor, Knights Of.— A company of military knights, com- 
posed of superannuated officers, who are allowed certain accom- 
modation in Windsor Castle, and receive a daily sum for suste- 
nance. The institution was founded by Edward the Third, under 
the designation of " Poor Knights." 



NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS, ETC. 303 



SEOTION ZSSIII. 

NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS, etc, 

Arena.— The literal meaning of this word is sand or grit. In 
the Latin authors, it is used to designate the place where the 
gladiators who engaged with swords, fought. It received its 
name from being covered with sand, in order to prevent the com- 
batants slipping ; and to absorb the blood. 

Atelier de Charite.— A benevolent institution, established at 
Ghent in 1817, for the purpose of giving employment to persons 
who are in a state of indigence, and deprived of work elsewhere. 
Invalids and infirm persons are here put to suitable employment ; 
while the remuneration they receive is in proportion to their 
wants, rather than the produce of their labour. 

Athensenm. — A place at Athens, sacred to Minerva, where the 
poets, philosophers, and rhetoricians were in the habit of de- 
claiming and repeating their compositions. 

Anto da ¥e. — Spanish for act of faith. In the Romish Church, 
a solemn day formerly held by the Inquisition, for the punish- 
ment of heretics, and the absolution of the innocent accused. On 
such occasions, the persons condemned to death were habited in a 
certain costume, and led in procession to the place of execution ; 
and, being placed upon stakes, were burnt to death with circum- 
stances of great cruelty, amidst the acclamations of the sur- 
rounding multitude. The auto da fe was chiefly confined to 
Spain and Portugal. The first took place at Valladolid, 1559 ; 
the last at Goa, in 1787. 

Bed of Justice.— The name of the seat or throne formerly 
occupied by the French monarchs when they attended 
parliament : the term came, in course of time, to signify the 
parliament itself. The old French constitution laid it down as a 



304 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

principle that, when the king was present, parliament ceased ; 
consequently, all ordinances enrolled at a Bed of Justice were 
acts of the royal will, and of greater authority and effect than the 
ordinary enactments of parliament. The last Bed of Justice was 
assembled by Louis the Sixteenth, August 5th, 1788, and was 
intended to enforce upon the parliament the adoption of certain 
obnoxious taxes. The resistance to this measure led to the 
assembling of the States-General, and ultimately to the Kevolution. 

Bell, Book, and Candle, Swearing by.— This originated in the 
manner of the Pope blessing the world yearly, from the balcony 
of St. Peter's, at Eome. He holds a wax taper, lighted ; a 
cardinal reads a curse on all heretics, and, no sooner is the last 
word uttered, than the bell tolls, and the Pope changes the curse 
into a blessing, throwing down his taper among the people. 

Benefit of Clergy.— A privilege in law, at first peculiar to the 
clergy, but in after-times made common to the laity. When any 
one was convicted of certain crimes, he had a book placed in his 
hands to read, and, if the ordinary or deputy pronounced these 
words, " Legit ut clericus "—he reads like a clergyman or scholar 
— he was only burnt in the hand and set free for the first offence, 
for which he would otherwise have suffered death. 

Bicetre.— A village near Paris, in which a building was erected 
in the fifteenth century, for disabled soldiers. For many years, it 
was used as a military asylum and retreat, till a larger hospital 
was built at Paris, when it became by turns, and sometimes 
simultaneously, a surgical hospital, a lunatic asylum, and a 
prison. 

Borough English. — A customary descent of land, in some 
parts of England, to the younger sons. 

Bounds, Beating the. — An annual custom which takes place in 
London, and some other places, on Ascension Day. The 
minister, churchwardens, and other officers, together with the 
parochial scholars, perambulate the several parishes, armed with 
long rods or canes, with which they strike the boundaries, upon 
arriving at them. It supposed to be derived from the ancient 
custom called Terminalia, held in honour of the god Terminus,. 



NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS, ETC. 305 

who was supposed to preside over bounds and limits, and to 
punish all unlawful usurpations of land. 

Boy-Bishop. — It was an ancient custom in such churches as 
had cathedral service, for the little choristers, on St. Nicholas's 
Day, December 6th, to elect one of their number to preside over 
the rest, with some degree of episcopal authority, until the 28th 
of December, or Innocents' Day. In 1554, an edict was issued 
to all the clergy, to have a boy-bishop in procession, and it was 
not till the reign of Elizabeth that the custom was abolished. In 
the cathedral church of Salisbury, is a monument of a boy- 
bishop, who died in the exercise of his pontifical office, and 
whose funeral exequies were solemnized with the same pomp and 
ceremony as was customary on the death of a bishop. 

Bucentaur. — The state-galley of the republic of Venice, 
remarkable for its costliness and gorgeous decorations. It was 
used by the Doge in the annual ceremony of espousing the 
Adriatic. 

Calumet of Peace. — Upon all occasions when American Indian 
chiefs or warriors meet in peace, or at the close of a war with an- 
other nation, in their negotiations and treaties with the whites, or 
even when a single person of distinction comes among them, the 
calumet is handed round with ceremonies peculiar to each tribe, 
and every member of the company draws a few whiffs. To 
accept the calumet is to agree to the terms proposed ; to refuse 
it, is to reject them. The stem of this pipe is decorated in 
various ways, and the bowl is made of different kinds of marble. 
The calumet-dance is of a peaceful character, and seems to be 
intended by a series of movements to represent the power and 
utility of the calumet. 

Canonization.— The act or ceremony of declaring a deceased 
person a saint. In the Roman Catholic Church, this ceremony 
is preceded by beatification, and an examination into the life of 
the deceased, or the miracles performed by him. 

Caravanserai. — A large building in the East, representing a 
species of inn, for the reception of travellers and caravans- 
The building commonly forms a square, in the middle of 



306 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

which is a spacious court, and beneath the arches or piazzas 
which surround it, there runs a bank, raised some feet above 
the ground, where the merchants and travellers take up their 
lodgings, the beasts of burden being tied to the foot of the bank. 
Ceramicus. — A portion of the city of Athens which was 
walled off, and made the receptacle of statues, temples, theatres, 
and porticoes ; it was used as a public promenade. The same 
name was given to a place in the suburbs, in which were erected 
tombs and monuments to Grecian patriots. 

Chairing. — It was an ancient custom among the Northern 
nations to elevate their king upon Iris election, on the shoulders 
of his senators ; and the Anglo-Saxons carried their king upon 
a shield when crowned. Priests on being appointed bishops, 
were elevated in their cathedral ; and, until recently, newly-elected 
members of parliament were carried round the town, elevated 
in a chair. 

Championship Of England. — An office of great antiquity, 
probably coeval with the Conquest, the duty attached to which 
office is to challenge any one who may dispute the title of the 
sovereign at his coronation, in Westminster Hall. It is an here- 
ditary post belonging to the Dymocke family. 

Cicisheo. — A name given in the seventeenth century to the 
professed gallant of a married lady. It is the fashion among 
the higher ranks in Italy, for the husband, from the clay of 
marriage, to associate with his wife in his own house only. In 
society, or places of public amusement, she is accompanied by 
the cicisbeo, who even attends at her toilet to receive her 
commands for the day. The custom is, however, much on the 
decline. 

Cloaca Maxima. — The great common sewer of Ancient Rome ; 
it was remarkable for its extent, stability, and efficacy. It lasted 
many centuries without being affected by time or accident. 
It has been quoted by several historians as one of the most 
conspicuous evidences of the energy and power of the Roman 
people. 

Conge d'Elire. — In ecclesiastical affairs, the sovereign's licence 
or permission to a dean and chapter to choose a bishop. The 



NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS, ETC. 307 

monarch of Great Britain, as sovereign patron, had formerly the 
appointment of all ecclesiastical dignities, investing by crosier 
and ring, and afterwards by letters patent. But now the sove- 
reign, on demand, sends a conge d'elire to the dean and chapter, 
with a letter missive, containing the name of the person he would 
have them elect ; and if they delay the election twelve days, the 
nomination devolves upon the sovereign, who may appoint by 
letters patent. 

Curule Cliair. — A state chair among the ancient Romans, in 
which the chief magistrates had a right to sit and be carried. 
This chair was richly adorned and fitted to a kind of chariot 
(currus), whence it received its name. It was also used by 
successful generals in a public triumph. 

Curule Magistracy. — An affair of the highest magisterial 
dignity in the Roman State : it was distinguished from all others, 
by the privilege enjoyed by the person who held the office of 
sitting on an ivory seat, called the curule cliair, when engaged in 
his public functions. The curule magistrates were the consuls, 
praetors, censors, and chief sediles ; which last, on account of 
this privilege, were called curule sediles, to distinguish them 
from the plebeian. 

DinmiGW Flitch of Bacon.— An annual ceremony which takes 
place at Dunmow, in Essex ; it was established by Robert de 
Fitzwalter, in 1244, for the purpose of presenting a flitch of 
bacon to any married couple, who, "Kneeling on two sharp-pointed 
stones, swear that they have not quarrelled nor repented of 
their marriage within a year and a clay after its celebration." 

Epithalamram. — Among the ancients, a nuptial song or other 
composition in verse, sung or recited on the occasion of a marriage 
between persons of eminence. The themes touched upon were 
the pleasures of matrimony, the virtues and good qualities of 
the parties espoused ; concluding with prayers to the gods for 
prosperity, happy offspring, &c. 

Eraili. — Clubs or societies which existed during the Roman 
empire, for charitable, convivial, commercial, or political purposes. 

Estafette. — A term made use of originally for a military 
courier, but now used in all the modern countries of Europe to 



308 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

denote an " express," consigned to the care of postilions, who 
are changed with every relay of horses till the express reaches 
the place of destination. 

Eton Monteni. — A triennial custom formerly observed by the 
students of Eton College, who on Whit-Tuesday of every year 
proceeded to a tumulus (ad montem) near the Bath road, where 
they exacted money for salt, as it was called, from all who passed ; 
the term originating from an early monkish superstition, when 
the friars used to sell their consecrated salt for medical purposes. 
The Montem was abolished in 1847. 

Feet, Washing. — Among the ancient Jews and some other 
Eastern nations, the host showed his welcome to a guest by 
washing his feet, and hence it is accounted a symbol of hos- 
pitality. When sandals were the only covering for the feet, and 
when the hot and sandy roads of those districts are remembered,. 
it is not difficult to understand that the washing of the feet would 
be the most grateful and refreshing office which a host could 
perform for his guest. 

Fleet Marriages. — Marriages which were formerly permitted 
to be performed in England in the Fleet Prison, or within its 
boundaries. By an unaccountable laxity of the law, persons in holy 
orders, and officiating within the prescribed limits, were allowed 
to marry, without licence or previous notice, any persons who 
came before them for that purpose. Under these circumstances 
not only did the most extraordinary unions take place, but a great 
amount of immorality was practised, and the event was made the 
occasion of licentiousness and debauchery. 

Gavelkind. — A custom prevailing in Kent and some other 
parts of England, by which family estates are equally divided 
among all the sons. 

God's Gift. — Another name for Dulwich College, bestowed 
upon it by its founder, Edward Alleyne, a player. The college 
is designed for the support and maintenance of a master, warden, 
and four fellows ; also six poor men, six poor women, and twelve 
boys, to be educated in good literature. One singular condition 
is, that no person shall be eligible for master whose name is not 
either Alleyn or Allen. Alleyn was an actor of great repute in 



NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS, ETC. 309 

the time of Elizabeth, and of James the First. He amassed a 
large fortune on the stage, and expended a considerable portion 
of it in the endowment of this college, as some sort of propitia- 
tion for the profanity of his career, as he in after-life regarded the 
vocation of a stage -player. 

Gretna-Green Marriages. — The first person who performed a 
marriage at Gretna-Green, was named Scott, who resided in the 
neighbourhood between 1750 and 1760. He was succeeded by 
one Gordon, an old soldier, who gave out that he had a licence 
from Government to perform such marriages. Upon his death 
many successors arose, the chief of whom was Joseph Paisley, 
known as the " Old Blacksmith." Gretna-Green was chosen as 
the place for runaway matches on account of its being the part of 
Scotland nearest to England, thus permitting the contracting 
parties to be married with the least delay according to the 
Scottish law. 

Hanaper Office. — One of the offices belonging to the Court of 
Chancery, and which takes its name from the writs and other 
documents being originally kept in a hamper (in hanaperio). 

Hasta Pura. — A spear bestowed by the Romans upon him 
who slew an enemy hand to hand. By way of disgrace or 
punishment, this spear was sometimes taken from its possessor ; 
this was termed censio hastaria. 

Heralds' College. — A corporation founded by Richard the 
Third, consisting of three kings-at-arms, six heralds, and four 
pursuivants, and having the regulation and control of matters 
connected with armorial bearings, heraldic devices, royal ceremo- 
nials, creation of peers, funerals, marriages, and all other public 
solemnities. 

Holy Office. — The name of the ecclesiastical tribunal otherwise 
known as the Inquisition. 

Janus, Opening and Closing of the Temple of.— The temple 
of Janus, one of the primitive deities of the Romans, was opened 
si the beginning of every war, and remained open so long as the 
war lasted, and until peace was established in all the countries 
subject to Rome. The temple was shut only three times in the 
long space of 700 years. 



310 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Jew-Bail. — An opprobrious term for men without either money 
or character, who used to hire themselves out as sureties for 
persons arrested for debt. 

Kalaild. — A German word signifying the name of a lay frater- 
nity instituted in the thirteenth century, for the purpose of doing 
honour to deceased relatives and friends. 

Kit-cat Club. — An association of about thirty noblemen and 
gentlemen of distinguished merit, formed in 1703, for the purpose 
of uniting their zeal in favour of the Protestant succession of the 
House of Hanover. The name was derived from Christopher 
Kat, a pastry-cook, who lived near the tavern where they met, in 
King Street, Westminster, and supplied them with pastry. Sir 
Godfrey Kneller painted their portraits of a size which is still 
distinguished by the name of Kit-cat. 

Khotbah. — A particular kind of prayer used in Mohammedan 
countries at the commencement of public worship in the great 
mosques on Friday at noon. It consists chiefly of a confession of 
faith, and a petition for the prosperity of the Mohammedan 
religion. 

Knight's Service. — A species of tenure by which lands were 
held from the time immediately succeeding the Norman Conquest, 
in the eleventh century, to the period of the civil war in the 
seventeenth. This kind of tenure obliged the holder to follow 
his superior to the wars, and, under certain restrictions, to remain 
with him forty days in every year, or to send some other knight 
duly qualified to perform the service. This thraldom fell to the 
ground during the existence of the Commonwealth. 

Lazzaretto. — The name given to certain buildings and enclo- 
sures which are annexed to sea-port towns, chiefly in the Mediter- 
ranean, for the purpose of keeping confined therein the crews of 
ships and passengers arriving from Turkey, or other places where 
the plague or epidemic diseases of any kind are known to prevail. 

Levee and Drawing Room. — A levee consists of gentlemen 
only ; a drawing-room is attended by ladies as well as gentlemen. 

Libertini. — The freed-men of Rome, classed into four tribes, 
220 B.C. 

Manse. — Anciently, an inn on a public road, usually at the 



NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS, ETC. 311 

distance of eighteen miles from each other. In the middle ages, 
it was used to express an encampment for one night. 

Metronomii. — The name given by the Athenians to five officers 
in the city and ten in the Piraeus, whose duty it was to inspect 
all sorts of measures, excepting those only of corn. 

Mont de Piete. — A benevolent institution, which originated in 
Italy in the fifteenth century ; the object of which was to advance 
loans to necessitous persons at a moderate interest. These 
establishments lent money upon pledges somewhat after the 
manner of pawnbrokers, but with this difference, that the benefit 
of the borrower was regarded rather than the profit of the lender. 
This institution was introduced into other countries, especially 
into the Netherlands ; and Monts de Piete were established at 
Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, and other places. In Spain there 
were similar establishments, also at Madrid, and other large 
towns. 

Morganatic Marriage, — Otherwise termed a left-handed mar- 
riage, between a man of superior and a woman of inferior station ; 
in which it is stipulated that the woman and her children shall 
not enjoy the rank nor inherit the possessions of her husband. 
Such marriages are not uncommon in the families of the sovereign 
princes and of the higher nobility, in Germany ; but they are 
restricted to personages of these exalted classes. 

Oscillatory. — In Church history, a tablet or board with the 
picture of Christ, the Virgin, &c, which is kissed by the priest, 
and then delivered to the people for the same purpose. 

Ovation.— Among the Eomans, an inferior kind of triumph 
which was granted to military leaders. The word is said to be 
derived from ovare, to cry ! the cry of soldiers on this occasion ; 
or from ovis, a sheep, the animal sacrificed at such triumphs. 

Palace Court. — A court of justice created by Charles the First, 
and made a court of record, with power to try personal actions 
between party and party within a liberty extending to the distance 
of twelve miles round Whitehall. This court became notorious 
for its abuses, and was ultimately abolished. 

Passing Bell. — The ringing of the passing bell anciently served 
two purposes ; one of which was engaging the prayers of all good 



312 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

people for departing souls ; and the other was, driving away the 
evil spirits which were supposed to haunt the bed and house, and 
ready to seize their prey, but kept at a distance by the ringing of 
this bell. 

Pliylarch. — An Athenian officer appointed by each phyle, or 
tribe, to superintend the registration of its members, and other 
common duties. The office corresponds with that of the Eoman 
tribune. 

Pledging Healths. — The custom of persons pledging one an- 
other while they were drinking, is said by some to have had its 
origin in England soon after it had been reduced by the Danes, 
who would sometimes stab a native in the act of drinking ; the 
Saxons, therefore, would not drink in company, unless some one 
present would be their pledge or security that they should receive 
no hurt. Others date it from the death of King Edward, son of 
Edgar, who was by the contrivance of Elfrida, his step -mother, 
treacherously stabbed in the back as he was drinking. 

Poet Laureate. — The title given to a poet, whose duty it 
formerly was to compose birthday odes and other poems of 
rejoicing for the monarch in whose service he was. These duties 
are now dispensed with, although the office and its emoluments 
still exist. 

Polarnmi. — Among the Komans, a piece of ground exposed to 
the sun, made very level, and occupying an elevated situation, 
usually the top of the house. Such walks were used for air and 
exercise. 

Polemarch. — A magistrate at Athens, who had under his care 
all the strangers and sojourners in the city, over whom he had 
the same jurisdiction as the archon had over the citizens. Also 
the name of a military officer in Lacedsemon. 

Polytechnique, Ecole. — An establishment which ranks among 
the first in the history of education. The school was established 
by a decree of the National Convention of March 11, 1794 ; its 
object being to diffuse a knowledge of the mathematical, physical, 
and chemical sciences, and to prepare the pupils for the artillery 
service, and the various departments of engineering, military, 
naval, and civil. The origin of this establishment, and the high 



NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS, ETC. 313 

character of the course of instruction, has always inspired the 
students with an ardent love of their country. In 1814, they 
fought bravely against the allies ; and in the revolution of 1830, 
the students immediately took part with the people, and rendered 
the greatest service to the popular cause, as well by their military 
knowledge as by their heroic enthusiasm. 

Prsetorium.— The name of that part of a Roman camp occupied 
by the general's tent ; it was raised a few feet higher than the rest 
of the camp. The hall or court where the Praetor administered 
justice also went by this name. 

Prefet. — In France, a chief magistrate or governor, invested 
with the general administration of a department. The head office 
of such official is termed the prefecture. 

Regius Professor. — A reader of lectures in the universities, 
founded by Henry the Eighth, who established five lectureships 
in each university of Oxford and Cambridge ; namely, of Divinity, 
Greek, Hebrew, Law, and Physic. 

Religious Houses. — Convents, monasteries, nunneries, and 
similar establishments of the Romish Church, where persons live 
under certain rules, and are bound by their vows to observe a 
religious life. The religious houses which existed in England at 
the time of the Reformation were dissolved, and their possessions 
appropriated by Henry the Eighth. 

Rialto. — The name of the exchange at Venice, so called from 
Rivo alto, " the deep river," which runs between the Venetian 
islands. It was built upon the chief island as the most appro- 
priate spot, in a purely commercial and maritime state, and in 
order to preserve the popular resort and influence to it. 

Rostrum, — Literally, the beak or bill of a bird. In ancient 
Rome, the elevated platform in the Forum, so called from its 
basement being decorated with the beaks or prows of ships. 

Royal Progresses. — A custom which formerly prevailed among 
the sovereigns of England of proceeding periodically to the 
various parts [of their dominions, and travelling in great state 
from place to place. These journeyings were undertaken with a 
view of observing the state of the kingdom, and of inquiring into 
the wants and wishes of the people. Upon such occasions peti- 



314 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: 

tions were presented, grievances were stated, and requests were 
made by the people of the neighbourhood through which the 
monarch passed. In the mean time the king and his court 
sojourned at the residences of his most powerful subjects, and 
the most costly entertainment was provided. 

KuiHling a Muck. — A phrase derived from the Malays, in 
whose language amoch signifies to kill. Applied to desperate 
persons who intoxicate themselves with opium ; then arming 
themselves with a dagger, rushing wildly forth into the public 
ways, and killing and wounding every one they meet. 

Sagamore. — Among certain tribes of American Indians, the 
name given to a king or chief. 

Sanctuary, Bight of. — An ancient English custom, denoting 
an asylum or place privileged by the sovereign for the protection 
of the lives of persons who were guilty of capital crimes. Till 
the time of Henry the Eighth, all English churches and church- 
yards were sanctuaries ; and persons accused of any crime except 
treason who fled to them, and who, within forty days after, went in 
sackcloth, and confessed themselves guilty before the coroner, 
and declared all the particular circumstances of the offence— and 
who thereupon took an oath that they abjured the realm, and 
would depart thence forthwith, and would never return without 
leave from the king — by this means saved their lives. They were 
then expected to hasten to the nearest port, bearing a cross in 
their hands ; and if during the forty days' privilege assigned, or 
on their way to the sea-side, they were apprehended, they might 
plead privilege of sanctuary. But by this abjuration their blood 
was attainted, and they forfeited all their goods and chattels. 
During this interval, if any layman expelled such persons he was 
excommunicated ; if a clerk, he was made irregular ; but after 
forty days, no man might relieve them. 

Scape Goat.— In Jewish antiquity, the goat which was set 
at liberty on the day of solemn expiation, typically to bear away 
the sins of the people. Hence, any person who is made respon- 
sible for the faults of another, or receives the punishment which 
is due to another, is called a scape-goat, i.e. escape-goat. 

Scouring of the White Horse.— In White Horse Vale, Berk- 



NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS, ETC. 315 

shire, there is to be seen the figure of a horse in a galloping 
posture, cut in the side of a chalky hill — as is supposed, in 
memory of a great victory gained by Alfred over the Danes. 
A custom has existed from time immemorial among the villagers 
of the neighbourhood, of assembling about Midsummer for what 
they term " scouring the horse," when they remove every weed 
or obstacle that may have obstructed this figure, and retire to 
spend the evening in various rural sports. 

Sheriffs, Pricking for. — An animal English custom in the 
appointment of sheriffs, and which consists in the sovereign 
piercing, with a punch, the parchment upon which is written the 
names of the persons chosen to serve as sheriffs in each county. 
A distinct puncture is made opposite each name, such being 
deemed the royal approval of the choice made. 

Taboo.— A term expressive of a peculiar custom prevalent 
among the South-Sea Islanders, and used in general to denote 
something consecrated, sacred, forbidden, or set aside for particular 
uses or persons. It is applied both to persons and things, and 
both to the object prohibited and to the persons against whom 
the prohibition extends. Thus, a consecrated piece of ground 
is taboo; the act of consecrating it is called taboo, and the persons 
who are excluded from entering are also said to be tabooed. 
A particular article of food is sometimes tabooed at certain 
seasons, in order to preserve it against a time of scarcity. 

Tomahawk. — The tomahawks or hatchets of Indian manufacture 
are headed with stone, but the ordinary metal blades or heads 
are of European manufacture, and made expressly for Indian 
use. The tomahawk is the constant companion of the Indian, 
used by him for innumerable purposes, and kept by his side day 
and night. 

Treasure Trove. — By the laws of England, a branch of the 
revenue of the crown. When coin, plate, or precious metals are 
found hidden in the earth or any private place, and the owner or 
person who deposited them is unknown, the property becomes 
vested in the sovereign by virtue of the royal prerogative. But 
if the owner be ascertained after the treasure is found, the 
property belongs to him, and not to the sovereign. 



316 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST I 

Tribune.— In the French houses of legislature, the pulpit or 
elevated place from which the members deliver or read their 
speeches. 

Trinity House.— A kind of college, incorporated by charter, 
in 1514; re-incorporated and extended in 1685. The corporation, 
originally a company of pilots for the royal navy, consists of a 
master, deputy, four wardens, eight assistants, and seventeen 
brethren. Eleven of the thirty-one brethren are usually men of 
high station, and twenty experienced commanders of merchant 
ships ; the master and deputy are chosen annually. The chief 
functions of the Trinity corporation consist in examining and 
licensing pilots, in erecting seamarks and lighthouses, in super- 
intending the navigation of the Eiver Thames, and in the appoint- 
ment of the harbour-masters. 

Tripod. — The name applied to the chair or altar from which 
the priestess of Delphi gave her oracles. It was generally made 
of metal, and often of exquisite workmanship. 

Triumph. — Among the Komans, a military procession through 
the city to the Capitol, where the victorious general exhibited 
the trophies of his success, and solemnly sacrificed to Jupiter, 
to whom he dedicated part of his spoils. 

Unction, Extreme. — In the Roman Catholic religion, a solemn 
anointing of any person at the point of death. 

Yeto. — Latin for " I forbid." Among the. Romans, the solemn 
word used by the tribunes of the people, when they inhibited 
any decree of the senate, or law proposed to the people, or any 
act of other magistrates. 

Wager of Battel. — A mode of trial between an accused 
person and his accuser, and which formerly, was one of the 
statutes of the criminal law of England. According to this- 
law, the accused could challenge the accuser to single combat, 
and unless the latter could plead a ;legal exception, he must 
either give up his charge against the defendant, and be liable 
to him in damages, or a day of battle must ;be appointed. 
The battle must be in the presence of^the court, in the following- 
form :— At sunrise, the parties assemble ; the lists are set by the 
court ; the accuser and the accused are to be bare-armed, bare- 



NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS, ETC. 317 

legged, and each furnished with a wooden truncheon an ell long, 
and a square wooden target. They then take each other's hands, 
and each swears — the accuser that the accused did kill the 
deceased, and the accused swears that he did not. They then 
both swear that they have about them " neither bone, stone, nor 
charm of any sort, whereby the law of the devil may be exalted, 
or the law of God depressed." They then fight it out. If the 
accused can make good his defence till the stars appear in the 
evening, it is an acquittal ; but if he be beaten, or cries " Craven" 
the infamous word of surrender, he is to be hanged. This 
barbarous mode of appeal was taken advantage of, in the case 
of a murder in Ireland, in 1817. A compromise was effected, 
the prisoner's sentence was commuted to transportation, and the 
statute was repealed. 

War, Honours of. — Stipulated terms which are granted to a 
vanquished enemy, and by which he is permitted to march out 
of a town, from a camp, or line of entrenchments, with all the 
insignia of military etiquette. 

Wassail-Bowl. — The name of a large silver cup or bowl, in 
which the Saxons at their entertainments drank a health to one 
another, in the phrase of ivces-heal, " health to you." In religious 
houses, this bowl was set at the upper end of the table for the 
use of the abbot, who began the health to strangers, or to his 
fraternity. 

Wedding of the Adriatic. — A preposterous ceremony, which 
was made the occasion of an annual festival at Venice ; and at 
which the Doge went out to sea in a sumptuous barge, and 
" wedded" the Adriatic, by throwing a ring to the waves. This 
curious custom is said to have originated in the following event. 
In 1178, the Pope, Alexander the Third, took refuge from the 
Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, among the Venetians, whose fleet 
became triumphant in his cause, and brought a number of the 
enemy's vessels into their port. The Pope meeting the victorious 
Doge gave him a ring, and said, " Take this ring and give it to 
the sea, in testimony of your dominion, and of your having sub- 
jected this element, even as a husband subjecteth his wife." 



318 THE HISTOKICAL FINGER-POST 



SECTION XXIII. 

OBJECTS OF CURIOSITY, INTEREST, AND WONDER. 

Allbero d'Oro. — That is " Golden Tree." The name of one 
of the most beautiful palaces of Venice. The tradition is, that 
one of its ancient possessors had an intense passion for gaming, 
and in the course of his career lost the whole of his possessions 
with the exception of this palace ; this, he at length also staked, 
but by way of caprice reserved to himself one of the trees 
which grew in the garden. The palace followed his previous 
losses, and the gamester now determined that the excepted tree 
should be staked. This clone, a sudden change of fortune followed, 
and gradually all that had been lost was regained. The tree 
was very appropriately called the Golden Tree, and the palace 
itself was named after it. 

AUiambra. — The name assigned to the vestiges of a palace 
which was erected and occupied by the Mohammedan Sultans or 
Kings of Granada, in Spain. "When in its perfect state, the 
interior of the Alhambra was deemed the most superb specimen 
of Moorish architecture and fanciful adornment ever called into 
existence. 

Apollo Belvedere. — A celebrated statue of Apollo, found 
at Capo d'Anzo, in the ruins of ancient Antium. It was 
purchased by Pope Julius the Second, and was placed by him 
in the Belvedere of the Vatican, whence it derives its present 
name. 

Arundel Marbles. — Certain pieces of sculpture, consisting 
of ancient statues, busts, mutilated figures, altars, inscriptions, 
&c, the remains of a more extensive collection, formed in the 
early part of the seventeenth century by the Earl of Arundel, 
and presented to the University of Oxford by his grandson. 

Barberini Palace. — A palace at Rome, of vast dimensions and 
costly appointments. It contains a library, comprising numerous' 



OBJECTS OF CURIOSITY, ETC. 319 

rare manuscripts, a valuable museum, and an extensive gallery of 
paintings. 

Bayenx Tapestry. — A web or roll of linen cloth or canvas, 
preserved at Bayeux, upon which a continuous representation of 
the events connected with the invasion and conquest of England 
by the Normans is worked in coloured woollen thread after the 
manner of a sampler. It is 20 inches wide, and 214 feet long ; 
and is divided into seventy-two compartments, each of which 
bears an explanatory Latin inscription. It is stated traditionally 
to have been worked by or under the superintendence of Matilda, 
the Conqueror's queen, and presented by her to the Cathedral of 
Bayeux. 

Blenheim.— The name of a noble mansion and estate at Wood- 
stock, near Oxford. Presented by the British Parliament to the 
Duke of Marlborough, in commemoration of the victory achieved 
by him at the Battle of Blenheim, August 13th, 1704. 

Buen Retire. — A royal summer residence, on an elevated 
ground, near Madrid, built with much splendour by the Duke of 
Olivarez, at the beginning of the seventeenth century. In 1808, 
when the French attacked Madrid, it was the centre of the conflict, 
and was plundered. The French afterw.ards fortified it, and used 
it as a citadel. 

Capitol. — A celebrated citadel and temple at Eome, dedicated 
to Jupiter, and thence called Jupiter Capitolinus. It was built 
on the highest part of the city, called the Tarpeian Eock, and 
was strongly fortified. Here the senate assembled, and ,jn the 
temple they made the vows and took the oath of allegiance. 

Catacombs. — Grottos or subterraneous passages for the recep- 
tion of the dead, frequently found in Egypt and in Italy. 

Colossus. — A statue of immense proportions, such as that of 
the Sun anciently in the harbour of the island of Khodes. It was 
placed at the centre of the harbour, with the right foot planted on 
one side of the shore, and the left foot on the other. 

Ear of Dionysins. — The name of a cave of great depth in a 
rock in the neighbourhood of Syracuse. It was in the form of a 
human ear. Here the tyrant Dionysius imprisoned those persons 
who fell under his suspicion ; and by means of a winding tube, 



320 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

leading from the cave to a private apartment above, he was enabled 
to listen to the conversation of his victims, of which, it is said, 
not a whisper escaped him. 

Elgin Marbles. — These precious relics of ancient art were 
named after Thomas, Earl of Elgin, who brought them from 
Athens to England, with incredible pains and toil, when they 
were purchased by Government, and deposited in the British 
Museum. These sculptures were imagined and directed by 
Phidias, and executed in part by his chisel. 

Escurial. — A vast edifice near Madrid, built by Philip the 
Second of Spain. It was commenced on the anniversary of 
St. Lawrence, 1563, and is made to assume the shape of a gridiron, 
the instrument upon which that saint is recorded to have suffered 
martyrdom. It is the country palace and mausoleum of the 
Spanish sovereigns. 

Fairlop Oak. — A noted tree in Hainault Forest, Essex, forty- 
eight feet in girth, and said to have been the growth of 500 years, 
beneath which a fair was established in modern times ; injured 
by an accidental fire, 1806 ; blown down, 1820. 

Fountain of Tears. — Pedro the Severe of Portugal, when 
prince, had become enamoured of one of his wife's ladies, the 
beautiful Ines de Castro, and on the death of his wife, he secretly 
married her. His father, Alfonso the Fourth, was extremely dis- 
pleased on the discovery of the marriage ; and while Pedro was 
absent on a hunting expedition, went to Coimbra, where Ines had 
been left, and in spite of her tears and entreaties, caused his 
attendants to murder her. Her beauty and grace had made a 
great impression on the people of Coimbra ; they never forgot 
her ; and the fountain at which she was slain is still called the 
" Fountain of Tears." 

Gobelin Tapestry. — So called from a noted house in Paris, in 
the suburb of St. Marcel, formerly possessed by famous wool- 
dyers, whereof the chief was Giles Gobelin, who lived in the 
reign of Francis the First, and who is said to have discovered 
the secret of dyeing scarlet. This house was purchased by Louis 
the Fourteenth, for a manufactory of all manner of curious works 
for adorning the royal palaces, under the direction of Monsieur 



OBJECTS OF CURIOSITY, ETC. 321 

Colbert, especially tapestry, designs for which were drawn by the 
celebrated Le Bran, by appointment of the king, 1666. 

Golden Palace. — The name given to the royal residence which 
the Eoman emperor Nero had built for himself. This building 
was remarkable for the immense quantity of gold and other pre 
cious materials employed in its decoration, and also for its 
magnitude. When Nero surveyed its costliness and immense 
extent, he declared that he should now " be lodged like a man." 

Great Harry. — The name given to the first ship of war belong- 
ing to the English navy, and which was built in the reign of 
Henry the Seventh in 1485. It was 1000 tons burthen, 128 feet 
in length, and 48 feet in breadth ; it had three flush decks, a fore- 
castle, half-deck, quarter-deck, and round-house, and carried 176 
guns of various calibre. The ship was accidentally burnt in 1554. 

Grotto del Cane. — A remarkable grotto in the vicinity of 
Naples, hollowed out of a sandy soil to the depth of ten feet and 
the breadth of four. A light vapour, resembling the smoke from 
coal, is always seen rising about six inches in height. No smell 
is emitted except such as is generally connected with a subterra- 
neous passage. A dog is most commonly chosen to exhibit the 
effects of this vapour. The animal held in it at first struggles 
considerably, but loses all motion in about two minutes, and would 
immediately die if it were not withdrawn into the open air. 

Kolyrood House. — The name of an ancient palace and abbey, 
which stands at the eastern extremity of the old town of Edin- 
burgh. The Holy Rood, or Holy Cross, is the name of an abbey 
contiguous to the palace. 

Koh-i-noor. — A celebrated diamond, the name of which signi- 
fies " mountain of light." It was found in the mines of Golconda, 
1550, and passed in the train of conquest as the emblem of 
dominion from Golconda to Delhi, from Delhi to Mushed, Mushed 
to Cabul, Cabul to Lahore, and thence became a trophy of English 
valour. 

Kremlin.— The palace at Moscow, standing on a central and 
elevated part of the city. It was built in the fifteenth century, 
and miraculously escaped the general conflagration that followed 
the entry of the French in 1812. 

M 



322 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Lalbyrintll. — One of the wonders of ancient Egypt. It con- 
sisted of twelve palaces, beneath which were vast subterraneous 
excavations, equal in size to the palaces above, in which. were 
preserved the bodies of the kings who constructed them, and the 
sacred crocodiles which the Egyptians worshipped as deities. 

Laura. — The name given to a collection of little cells at some 
distance from each other, in which the hermits in ancient times 
lived together in a wilderness or desert place. 

Lion of Bastia. — A singular rock at the entrance of the port 
of Bastia, in the island of Corsica. It has the appearance of a 
lion in repose ; the shoulders and neck are covered with creeping 
plants, resembling a bushy mane ; the fore-legs are thrown for- 
ward, the neck is raised, and the head is characterized by an air 
of fierceness. 

Louvre.— One of the most ancient palaces of France. In the 
time of the earlier kings, it served as a sort of hunting seat. It 
has been altered and added to by various monarchs, and immense 
sums have been expended upon it. It contains some of the finest 
pictures in the world, and a choice collection of sculpture, anti- 
quities, and other valuable specimens of art. 

Lyceum. — A celebrated place near the banks of the Ilissus, in 
Attica, where Aristotle taught philosophy. 

Maimaison. — A chateau two and a half leagues from Paris, 
and one and a half from Versailles. It is charmingly situated 
and interspersed with beautiful walks, in which Napoleon sought 
recreation from the cares of state. It received its name from its 
having been erected on the spot where the Normans landed on 
one of their incursions in the ninth century. 

Martello Towers. — So called by corruption, from Martello, in 
Corsica, where a strong tower maintained a determined resistance 
to a superior English force, in 1794. In consequence of the 
great strength exhibited by this fort, the British Government 
erected twenty-seven similar towers on the Kentish coast, at 
intervals of about a quarter of a mile, as a defence against the 
threatened invasion of France. 

Mausoleum. — A sepulchral building, so called from Mausolus, 
King of Caria, to whose memoiy it was raised, by his widow 



OBJECTS OF CURIOSITY, ETC. 323 

Artemisia, about 353 B.C. ; hence, all sepulchral structures of im- 
portance have obtained the name of Mausoleums. From its 
extraordinary magnificence, it was esteemed the seventh wonder 
of the world. 

Morgue.— In Paris, and other cities of France, a place where 
dead bodies that have been found are deposited, for the purposes 
of recognition by the relatives or friends of the deceased. 

Notre Dame. — The old French expression for the Virgin 
Mary, similar to the English term Our Lady, and the German 
phrase Unsere Liebe Frau ; hence, it is the name of many 
churches in France, and particularly of the great cathedral at Paris. 

Odeon. — In ancient architecture, a building wherein the poets 
and musicians contended for the prizes, both in vocal and instru- 
mental music. 

Osborne House. — The marine residence of Her Majesty, Queen 
Victoria, situated in the Isle of Wight. 

Palladium. — A celebrated statue of Pallas, representing the 
goddess as sitting and holding a pike in her right hand, and in 
her left a distaff and spindle. This statue, it was alleged, was 
the guardian of Troy ; hence, the term came to signify any 
security or protection. 

Parthenon. — The temple of Minerva, in the Acropolis of 
Athens, so called in honour of the virginity of that goddess ; 
from parthenos, a virgin. 

Penetralia. — In Raman antiquity, a sacred apartment or 
chapel in private houses, set apart for the worship of the Penates, 
or household gods. 

Pharos of Ptolemy.— The wonderful lighthouse named Pharos 
from the Island of Pharos on which it stood, was surrounded by 
water. It was a magnificent tower, of great height, surmounted 
by a lantern, which was kept burning continually, and which 
could be seen for many miles at sea, and along the coast. It was 
built for the benefit and direction of mariners, by one of the 
Ptolemies, in the year of the world 3670. How long this light- 
house stood is not very certain ; but it was of such universal 
esteem, that the ancients called all lighthouses after it, by the 
common name of Pharos. 

M 2 



324 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Phigaleian Marbles. — Certain marbles discovered near the 
site of Phigaleia^ a town of Arcadia, in Greece. They are deposited 
in the British Museum. 

Picts' Wall. — One of the barriers erected by the Eomans 
across the northern part of England, to restrain the incursions of 
the Scots. 

Pitt Diamond. — A precious stone brought from India by a 
gentleman named Pitt, and sold by him, in 1720, to the Kegent, 
Duke of Orleans, by whom it was placed among the crown 
jewels of France. It is now set in the handle of the sword of 
state of Bonaparte. 

Portland Vase. — A famous specimen of antique art which was 
discovered in 1550. For more than two centuries it formed the 
principal ornament of the Barberini palace, in a marble sarco- 
phagus within a sepulchral chamber under Monte del Grano, 
two and a half miles from Rome. It afterwards became the 
property of the Duke of Portland, who, in 1810 deposited it 
in the British Museum. It was wilfully broken to pieces in 
1845, but the fragments were collected, and the vase successfully 
repaired. 

Round Towers. — Curious remnants of antiquity existing chiefly 
in Ireland. Notwithstanding many investigations, the precise 
purpose for which they were constructed has not yet been satis- 
factorily determined. , 

St. Cloud. — A royal residence of France intimately associated 
with the history of that country. It is situated on the banks of 
the Seine between Paris and Versailles. The palace is remark- 
ably beautiful ; it was originally the property of the Dukes of 
Orleans, and for a long period was the summer residence of the 
kings of France. 

Sans Souci. — French for " without care." The name of a palace 
near Potsdam where Frederic the Great was fond of residing, and 
which has been since the favourite retreat of the Prussian 
monarchs. 

Seraglio. — The palace of the Turkish sultan in Constantinople. 
It stands in a beautiful situation on a point of land projecting into 
the sea. Its walls embrace a circuit of about nine miles, including- 



OBJECTS OF CURIOSITY, ETC. 325 

several mosques, spacious gardens, and buildings capable of ac- 
commodating 20,000 persons. 

Seven Wonders of the World.— These were anciently, the 
Pyramids of Egypt, the Tomb of Mausolus, King of Caria, the 
Temple of Diana at Ephesus, the Walls and Hanging Gardens of 
Babylon, the Statue of the Sun at Rhodes, the Statue of Jupiter 
Olympus, and the Pharos of Ptolemy Philadelphus at Alex- 
andria. 

Sistine Chapel. — A chapel in the Vatican, so called from 
Pope Sixtus the Fourth, who erected it and destined it for the 
religious services performed during Passion Week, for which it 
is still used. Its dimensions are very large, and the walls are 
adorned by a number of fine paintings. 

Strawberry Hill. — The name of the celebrated residence of 
Horace Walpole, situated near Twickenham, Surrey. It is re- 
markable as being the depository of some of the most exquisite 
specimens of vertu and bijouterie, collected by the refined 
possessor ; and also for the establishment of a private printing- 
press, from which several rare and valuable works issued, under 
the immediate direction of Walpole himself. 

Vatican. — The ancient palace of the Popes, and the most mag- 
nificent in the world, built upon one of the hills of Rome, on 
the right bank of the Tiber. Its extent is enormous, containing, 
at the lowest computation, 4400 rooms ; and its riches in marbles, 
bronzes, and frescoes, in ancient statues and gems, and paintings, 
are unequalled in the world. It also possesses a library with a 
large and choice store of manuscripts. 

Venus de' Medici.— A celebrated relic of ancient art, consisting 
of a figure of Venus of small but beautiful proportions, and 
universally regarded as the most exquisite model of the human 
female figure. It is said to have been found in a villa near 
Tivoli about the year 1680. 

Versailles. — A splendid palace within a few miles from Paris, 
built by Louis the Fourteenth in 1687, and said to have cost 
more than a million of money. The fountains with which it 
is embellished are considered the most perfect specimens of 
their kind. 



326 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST 



SBCTIOIT 2£XIV- 

EPOCHS, ANNIVERSARIES, FESTIVALS, SPORTS, etc. 

Aguillaneilf. — A form of rejoicing among the ancient Franks 
on the first day of the year, from the Druidical custom of 
cutting the miseltoe upon that day, and consecrating it by the 
cry of Aguillanenf. 

Ancient History. — This includes the history of all nations, 
from the earliest records of the world till the fall of the Western 
Empire a.d. 476. 

Asses, Feast of. — An anniversary formerly held in France, 
in honour of Balaam's ass ; Christmas was the time usually 
chosen ; and the clergy walked in procession, dressed to resemble 
the prophets. It was suppressed early in the fifteenth century. 

Augustan Age. — An epithet in connection with English 
literature, applied to the sixty or seventy years that elapsed 
from the middle of Elizabeth's reign to the period of the Restora- 
tion. It implies that during that interval there flourished 
numerous persons eminent for their attainments, as, Shakspeare, 
Bacon, Sydney, Raleigh, Napier, Hobbes, Milton, &c. The 
term Augustan refers especially to the Roman Emperor Augustus, 
whose reign was rendered remarkable for the rapid strides made 
in science and literature. 

Basket, Procession of the. — A ceremony performed by the 
Athenians on the fourth clay of celebrating the Eleusinian 
mysteries. The basket was placed upon an open chariot drawn 
by horses, and followed by a long train of Athenian women, 
who carried in their hands, mysterious baskets, filled with 
several tilings which were carefully concealed. The ceremony 
was supposed to represent the basket into which Proserpine 



EPOCHS, ANNIVERSARIES, FESTIVALS, ETC. 327 

put the flowers she was gathering when she was seized by Pluto 
and carried off. 

Basset. — A game of cards, invented by a noble Venetian, 
for which it is said, he was banished. Upon its introduction 
into France, Louis the Fourteenth issued severe laws against 
it, to elude which, it was attempted to be played under new 
names. 

Bear Baiting. — A common amusement in England during 
the reigns of the earlier kings. Bear Gardens were established 
in London, and noblemen retained servants called hear-wards f 
who had the care of these animals. 

Bengalee Year. — This appears to have once been identical 
with the Hegira ; but the solar computation having been subse- 
quently adopted, of which the years exceeded those of the 
Hegira, by eleven days, it has lost nearly eleven days every 
year, and is now about nine years later, the year 1245 of the 
Hegira having commenced in July, 1829, and the Bengalee year 
1236 having begun 13th of April, the same year. The number 
593 must be added to bring this to the Christian era. 

Black Assize. — A commission of jail delivery, which was 
held at Oxford, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and so 
called from the circumstance of judges, jurymen, officers of the 
court, and the majority of the persons present, to the number 
of nearly three hundred, sickening and dying in less than 
forty-eight hours after they quitted the court. 

Black Monday. — Easter Monday in the year 1361, so called 
because it was remarkably dark and misty, while coldness pre- 
vailed to such a degree, that men died as they sat on horseback. 

Bceuf Gras. — One of the ceremonies in connection with the 
Carnival, celebrated at Paris. This/ete takes place ordinarily 
during the vernal equinox when the sun enters the sign of the 
Zodiac called Taurus (the Bull). A bull, symbolical of this 
sign, is decorated by the people of Paris, and is led in procession 
through the public streets. It is evidently one of the many 
ceremonies which were formerly practised in connection with 
religious worship. 

Brumaire. — According to the calendar established during 



328 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

the first French revolution, this was the second month of the 
year; it commenced on the 22nd of October, and ended on the 
20th of November. But in the year which immediately followed 
the bissextile year, this month commenced October 23rd and 
terminated November 21st. 

Building of Rome. — An epoch which most chronologers date 
from 753 B.C. Sir Isaac Newton, however, states that Some 
was built in the fifteenth age after the destruction of Troy, 
and allowing twenty-one years to each of the fourteen kings 
who reigned in Alba, previous to the building of Rome, it would 
bring forward the epoch to 627 B.C. 

Calendar. — A distribution of time into months, weeks, and 
days throughout the year, together with an account of the 
festivals and other occurrences serving to mark the course of 
events. 

Calends. — In Roman chronology, the first day of each month, 
so called from the old Latin cdlare, to proclaim : it being custo- 
mary on those days to proclaim the number of holidays in each 
month. The calends were reckoned backwards: thus, the 1st 
of May began the calends of May ; the 30th of April was the 
second of the calends of May, the 29th, the third, and so on 
to the 13th, where the Ides of April commenced. 

Calippic Period, — In chronology, a period of 76 years con- 
tinually recurring, after which it was supposed by Calippus that 
the lunation, &c. of the moon would return again in the same 
order. 

Calmar, Union Of. — A national union which took place in 
1397, by which Sweden, Denmark, and Norway were formed 
into a single elective monarchy, each country retaining its 
parliament, laws, and customs. 

Capitoline Games. — Annual games celebrated at Rome in 
honour of Jupiter, by whom it was supposed the Capitol was 
saved from the Gauls. 

Carnival. — A season of mirth and festivity, particularly ob- 
served by the Italians, from Twelfth Day until Lent. 

Christian Era. — An era now almost universally recognized in 



EPOCHS, ANNIVERSARIES, FESTIVALS, ETC. 329 

Christian countries, and even observed by some Eastern nations. 
It is usually supposed to begin with the year of the birth of 
Christ ; but there are various opinions with regard to the year 
in which that event took place. 

Civil Year. — A space of time which, for convenience' sake, 
consists of 365 days, each of twenty-four hours. 

Confusion of Tongues.— The incident in the building of the 
Tower of Babel, by which the dialects of those employed were 
confounded ; and hence originated what is termed the " confusion 
of tongues," or the different languages which now diversify the 
speech of man. 

Cycle. — In chronology, a certain period or series of years 
which regularly proceed from the first to the last, and then return 
again to the first, and circulate perpetually. From the Greek 
Jcuklos, a circle. 

Days of September. — A term applied to the interval occurring 
from the 2nd to the 7th of September, 1792 ; during which 
period, nearly 3000 human beings were slaughtered in the various 
prisons of France, by bands of murderers in the pay of the 
Eevolutionary Government. 

Diocletian Era. — Established in celebration of the accession of 
Diocletian, the Roman emperor ; it commenced on the 29th of 
August, in the year 284. 

Eglintoiin Tournament. — A mimic revival of the ancient 
tournament, which took place at Eglintoun Castle, under the 
auspices of the Earl of Eglintoun. It began on the 28th of 
August ; but the sports were discontinued after two days, on 
account of the inclement weather. 

Elensinian Mysteries. — In Grecian antiquity, festivals ob- 
served in honour of Ceres, by some states every fourth, but by 
others every fifth year. The Athenians celebrated them at 
Eleusis, a town of Attica ; and hence arose the name. 

Epoch. — A term or fixed point of time, whence years are 
numbered ; such as the Creation, the Taking of Troy, the 
Building of Rome, the Birth of our Saviour, the Flight of Mo- 
hammed, &c. 

Era. — In chronology, a definite point of time, from which any 



330 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

number of years is begun to be counted. It differs from epoch in 
being a point of time fixed by some nation or denomination of 
men ; epoch is a point fixed by historians and chronologists. 

Falconry Hawking. — The practice and art of taking wild 
fowl by means of hawks or falcons, trained for the purpose. It is 
supposed to have been practised in England from remote 
ages, and was thence first introduced into Europe. It was the 
principal amusement in England of the sovereign and nobility, 
from the Heptarchy to the time of James the First. Persons of 
rank seldom went abroad without a hawk upon the hand. From 
the reign of James the First, the sport gradually declined, and is 
now almost obsolete. 

Fandango. — A quick, lively dance, universally in vogue in 
Spain, and said to be of Moorish origin. 

Fasti. — In Koman antiquity, the calendar in which were 
expressed the several days of the year, with their games, and 
other ceremonies ; also, a register of time, in which the several 
years were denoted by the respective consuls, called the fasti 
consular es. 

Fools, Feast of. — Festivals under this name were regularly 
celebrated, from the fifth to the sixteenth century, in several 
countries of Europe, by the clergy and laity, with the mos^t 
absurd ceremonies. 

Geagh.— A Turkish chronological cycle of twelve years, each 
year being denoted by a different animal, namely : the mouse, 
bullock, lynx or leopard, hare, crocodile, serpent, horse, sheep 
monkey, hen, dog, and hog. 

Generation. — This is the interval of time elapsing between the 
birth of the father and the birth of his son, and was generally 
used in computing considerable periods of time, both in sacred 
and profane history. The duration of a generation is, conse- 
quently, of uncertain length, and depends on the standard of 
human life, and whether the generations are reckoned by eldest, 
middle, or youngest sons. Thirty-three years has usually been 
allowed as the mean length of a generation, or three generations 
for every hundred years. 



EPOCHS, ANNIVERSARIES, FESTIVALS, ETC. 331 

Glorious First of June. — The name given in history to the 
1st of June, 1794, when the English squadron, under the command 
of Lord Plowe, totally vanquished one of the most powerful fleets 
that France ever equipped for sea. 

Golden Age. — In history, an indefinite and somewhat fabulous 
period, when the arts and sciences flourish, when civilization is at 
its highest, and when universal harmony prevails among mankind. 

Golden Ninnber. — In chronology, a number showing the year 
of the moon's cycle ; so called from its having been formerly 
written in golden letters in the almanacks. To find it, add one 
to the year of the Christian era, and divide by 19 ; the remain- 
der is the golden number of the year ; and when it happens that 
there is no remainder, then 19 is the golden number. 

Grus. — A dance annually performed by the young Athenians 
round the temple of Apollo, on the anniversary of the Delia. This 
dance was characterized by difficult movements and intricate 
windings, thus intended to present the labyrinth, wherein the 
Minotaur was slain by Theseus. 

Historical Year and Legal Year. — Down to 1752, the Historical 
year in England, commenced January 1st ; while the Civil, Eccle- 
siastical, and Legal year, began March 25th. These different 
dates led to much confusion ; and thus, many events are recorded 
by one author as happening in a certain year, while another 
author assigns the date to the year succeeding. As instances of 
these discrepancies, may be mentioned the execution of Charles the 
First, variously stated to have taken place on the 30th of January, 
1648, and the 30th of January, 1649. Also the Revolution which 
drove James the Second from the throne, which according to the 
testimony of two distinct authorities occurred in February, 1688, 
and February, 1689. 

Holocaust. — A solemn sacrifice among the ancients, in which the 
whole of the victim was consumed upon the altar, in contra- 
distinction to the usual custom, which enjoined that only a 
portion thereof should be consumed. 

Ides. — In the ancient Roman calendar, eight days in each 
month, the first day of which fell on the 13th of January, 



332 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

February, April, June, August, September, November, and 
December ; and on the 15th of March, May, July, and October. 
From old Latin iduare, to separate, because the Ides divided the 
month into two nearly equal parts. 

Indiction.— A mode of computing time by the space of fifteen 
years, instituted by Constantine the Great. 

Interregnum. — The time in which a throne is vacant between 
the death or abdication of a sovereign, and the accession of a 
successor. An interregnum, in strictness, can only happen in 
governments where the sovereign is elective ; for in hereditary 
kingdoms, the reign of the successor commences at the moment 
of the predecessor's death. The word, however, is used with 
more latitude. 

Irish Night.— The night of the 12th of December, 1688, so 
called from an alarm raised throughout England, that a general 
massacre was intended by the disbanded Irish troops in the pay 
of James the Second. The panic which this report caused, dis- 
played itself in a remarkable manner in London. At the dead of 
night the militia were called out. Candles were blazing at all 
the windows ; the public places were as bright as at noon-day. 
All the great avenues were barricaded. Daybreak found the 
city still in arms, and for many years a vivid recollection was 
retained of what was called the Irish night. The rumour was 
supposed to have been the consequence of a plot concocted among 
a few persons, who, either out of pure mischief, or from some 
ulterior motive, thus sought to work upon the fears of the people. 

Isthmian Games.— Games formerly celebrated by the Greeks 
at the Isthmus of Corinth, every three, four, or five years. 

Jewish Era. — Before the departure of the Israelites from 
Egypt, their year commenced at the autumnal equinox ; but in 
order to solemnize the anniversary of their deliverance, the month 
of Nisan or Ahib — in which that event took place, and which 
falls about the time of the vernal equinox — was afterwards re- 
garded as the beginning of the ecclesiastical or legal year. In 
civil affairs, and in the regulation of the jubilees and sabbatical 
years, the Jews still adhere to the ancient year, which begins 
with the month of Tisri, about the time of the autumnal equinox. 



EPOCHS, ANNIVERSARIES, FESTIVALS, ETC. 333 

Jousts. — In the age of chivalry, private combats, or martial 
exercises between knights and other persons distinguished by 
rank or military prowess. They generally took place with 
spears, on horseback, and differed from tournaments in being 
confined to single encounters. 

Jubilee. — Among the Jews, a festival formerly celebrated every 
fiftieth year, in commemoration of their deliverance out of Egypt. 
In the Eomish Church, a solemnity instituted by Pope Boni- 
face, to be observed every hundredth year, or, as enjoined by 
Pope Sixtus the Fourth, every twenty-fifth year. 

Julian Calendar. — The civil calendar, introduced at Eome by 
Julius Cresar, and used by^all the Christian countries, till it was 
reformed by Pope Gregory the Fourteenth, in 1582. By it the 
year was to consist of 365| clays ; and the vernal equinox, the 
time of which had been previously much disturbed, was again 
restored to the 25th of March. 

Julian Period. — A chronological period, consisting of 7980 
Julian years. The number 7980 is formed by the continual 
multiplication of the three numbers, 28, 19, and 15 ; that is the 
cycle of the sun, the cycle of the moon, and the cycle of indic- 
tion. Now, the only number less than 7980 which on being 
divided successively by 28, 19, and 15, leaves the respective 
remainders 10, 2, and 4, is 4714 ; hence, the first year of the 
Christian era corresponded with the year 4714 of the Julian 
period. 

Lanterns, Feast of. — The most solemn of all the festivals 
observed in China. On the day of this solemnity every place 
is decorated and illuminated with lanterns, painted in every 
variety of colours, and fancifully designed ; the size of some of 
them being as large as balloons. A display of fireworks of the 
most brilliant and ingenious description always accompanies the 
celebration of this festival. 

Liberalia. — A sacred festival with games, observed by the 
Eomans : so called from Liber, a Latin name of Bacchus, in 
honour of which god they were celebrated at Eome. It was 
on occasion of this festival that the Eoman youths who had 
attained the age of puberty, assumed the toga, or manly dress. 



334 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

ft Lord of Misrule. — In former times the master of the revels in 
any nobleman's house, or other great establishment. He was 
also called " Christmas Prince," because at Christmas and other 
festive seasons, he had the devising and management of the various 
sports and pastimes, masques, mummeries, &c. The Lord of 
Misrule held a sort of sovereign sway in the household, during 
the twelve days of Christmas, and on Candlemas Day. 

Lunisolar. — A term applied to a period of 532 common years, 
formed by multiplying the cycle of the sun with that of the 
moon. 

Lupercal. — A festival celebrated by the ancient Komans in 
honour of the god Pan. These feasts were abolished by Pope 
Gelasius, in the year 496, on account of the many irregularities 
they occasioned. 

Lustrum.— Among the ancient Komans a space of five years. 
At such times the ceremony of purification was performed. 

Mai, Champ de. — A ceremony which took place in France in 
the Champ de Mars, June 1st, 1815, at which a new constitu- 
tion framed by Napoleon Bonaparte was sworn to. 

Maid Marian. — A kind of dance, so called from a buffoon 
dressed like a maid, who played tricks before the populace. 

Middle Ages. — In history, a term used to denote several cen- 
turies of European annals, intervening between what are called 
the ancient and modern historical periods, comprehending the 
ninth to the fifteenth centuries inclusive. 

Minuet de la Cour.— An elegant and stately dance peculiarly 
adapted to the decorum of a court; it originated in the province of 
Poictou, at the close of the sixteenth century; It was formerly 
the etiquette in the British Court that none could join in^a 
country-dance unless they had previously walked a minuet. 

Miracles and Mysteries.— A kind of rude drama, which was 
a favourite spectacle in the Middle Ages, represented at solemn 
festivals. The subjects were of a religious character, and the 
ecclesiastics were at first the performers and authors. They 
were called mysteries and miracles, because they taught the 
mysterious doctrines of Christianity, and represented the miracles 
of the first founders of the faith of the saints and martyrs. 



EPOCHS, ANNIVERSARIES, FESTIVALS, ETC. 335 

Modern History. — The record of those events that have taken 
place among the nations of the earth subsequently to the fall of 
the Western Empire, a.d. 476. 

Morris Dance. — A peculiar kind of dance in imitation of the 
Moors, practised in the Middle Ages, in which bells were fixed to 
the feet of the dancer, whose great art was to move the feet so as 
to produce concord from the various bells. 

Nemean Games. — First celebrated by Adrastus, king of 
Argos, to commemorate Archemorus, the infant son of Lycurgus, 
king of Nemea, about 1230 B.C. 

Eones. — In the Roman calendar, one of the three divisions of 
the month, and so called because they fell on the ninth day, 
reckoned inclusively, before the Ides. The Nones of March, May, 
July, and October, fell on the 7th, and on the 5th in the other 
months. 

Old Style and New Style. — These terms have reference to the 
adoption of the new or Gregorian style in Great Britain ; which 
took place in the year 1752 ; September 3rd being reckoned as 
September 14th, and the eleven intervening clays being omitted.. 
For some time after this innovation, it was customary to 
append to dates, old style (O.S.) or new style (N.S.) to mark 
more certainly the period meant. 

Olympiad. — A famous epoch in ancient history, having its 
origin in the Olympic Games, celebrated at the beginning of 
every fifth year, to commemorate the victories of Hercules and 
other fabulous heroes. The precise time at which the Olympiads 
began has not been agreed upon. Chronologers, however, in all 
their computations, commonly reckon downwards from that 
Olympiad, in which Corselus the Elean was conquered ; the first 
year of which was 776 B.C. * 

Olympic Games. — Among the ancient Greeks, solemn games 
which lasted five days, and were held at the beginning of every 
fifth year,. on the banks of the Alpheus, near Olympia, a city of 
Elis. This celebrated institution maintained its reputation 
for a long period, and actually subsisted for more than 1000 
years. 

Pali-Mall. — A sport in which a ball is driven through an iron 



336 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

ring by a mallet ; formerly played in England, in the place named 
after the game. 

Phiditia.— In Grecian antiquity, feasts celebrated with great 
frugality at Sparta. They were held in the public squares, and in 
the open air. They were intended to keep up peace and friend- 
ship among the citizens, and were attended by all classes of the 
people — each individual, it is said, bringing wine, food, and money 
as a contribution to the feast. 

Pyrrhic Dance. — A species of warlike dance practised by the 
Romans ; it embraced the various movements necessary for attack 
and defence, and was regarded as a kind of training for the field 
of battle. 

Pythian Games. — Games celebrated in Greece every five years r 
in honour of the Pythian Apollo at Delphi. 

Quintain. — A Roman military sport or exercise by men on 
horseback, formerly practised in England to test the agility and 
prowess of the country youth. It consisted in tilting at a mark, 
made in the shape of a man, having a shield in the left hand, and 
a wooden sword in the right ; the figure was made to turn round, 
so that if it was struck with a lance in any other part but full in 
the breast, it turned with the force of the stroke, and hit the 
horseman with the sword which it held in its right hand. 

Ramadan. — The ninth month in the Turkish year. As the 
Mohammedans reckon by lunar time, it begins each year eleven 
days later than the preceding year, so that in thirty-three years 
it occurs successively in all the seasons. In this month the 
Mohammedans have their great fast daily from sunrise to sunset. 

Bed Letter Day. — A term signifying a fortunate or auspicious 
day ; so called because the holy days or saints' days were marked 
in the Sid calendars with red letters. 

Reformation. — The name generally given to that change in 
religious sentiments and practices, which had the effect of sepa- 
rating a large number of the population of Europe from the 
Church of Rome. The Reformation in England dates from the 
schism of Henry the Eighth, who set himself up in opposition to 
the Papal authority because it refused to connive at his wayward 
deeds. The Reformation produced not only a change of religious 



EPOCHS, ANNIVERSARIES, FESTIVALS, ETC. 337 

principles, but a national revulsion of feeling and opinion. Before 
the breach, the authority of the Church of Rome was regarded as 
infallible, but with the suppression of the Papal supremacy the 
blind faith of a former time was exchanged for the exercise of 
private judgment. The true principles of the Keformation were 
fully established during the reign of Edward the Sixth, and the 
great work was completed by Elizabeth in 1559. 

Regatta. — A public diversion at Venice, in which boats race 
each other on the canals that intersect the city. Each boat con- 
tains one person only, and the boat which first reaches the goal is 
awarded a small prize in money. This name has been given to a 
similar sport in England. 

Restoration. — In English history, a term applied by way of 
eminence to the accession of Charles the Second to the throne 
after an interregnum of eleven years and four months, from the 
30th January, 1649, when Charles the First was beheaded, to the 
29th May, 1660. 

Ridotto. — In Italy, a masquerade attended with music and 
dancing, and other amusements ; it commonly takes place on 
fast-eve, in those places where the carnival is celebrated. 

Rose Feasts. — A peculiar kind of festival formerly celebrated 
in several of the French provinces, and still observed in a partial 
degree in some few places. It is commemorated on the 8th of 
June. A girl is selected from three most distinguished for female 
virtues. Her name is then pronounced, to afford an opportunity 
of objections being made to her. She is afterwards conducted in 
procession to the church, where she hears the vesper service, 
kneeling in a place of honour. After this she opens a ball in the 
evening with the seigneur, or chief person of the place. Gifts 
are then made to her ; she is adorned with roses, and receives a 
kind of homage as La Rosiere. It is said that a great moral influ- 
ence is exercised by these feasts in the localities where they are 
celebrated. 

Saraband. — A Spanish tune and dance, said to have been 
introduced by the Saracens. 

Secular Games.— In antiquity, games which took place once 



338 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

in a hundred years. They lasted three days and three nights. 
They were celebrated in all, eight times. 

Tennis Court.— A place set apart for playing the game of 
tennis, the ball being struck with a racket. Many of these places 
existed formerly in England, and were encouraged by the monarchs 
of the time, who partook of the sport, and sometimes excelled 
in it. 

Thermidor, 9th, Year 2 (July 27th, 1794).— Celebrated in the 
French Revolution for the overthrow of Robespierre and the 
Mountain party, which circumstance put an end to the Reign of 
Terror. 

Three Days of July. — A phrase having reference to the 
27th, 28th, and 29th of July, 1830. Signalized by a revolution 
begun and completed against Charles the Tenth of France, in 
consequence of that monarch attempting to subvert the liberty 
of the press. 

Year of Confusion.— A name given to the year 47 b.c. Csesar 
made it consist of 445 days ; in adding to the lunar year of 355 
days, as it then existed, three months, one of twenty-three days, 
and the others of sixty-seven days, he gave a year of fifteen 
months. By this means he established an agreement between 
the two years, solar and civil. 

Year of our Lord.— The first sovereign who adopted this 
designation was Charles the Third, the Emperor of Germany, he 
adding " in the year of our Lord " to his reign, a.d. 879. It was 
followed by the French kings, and afterwards by the English ; 
and is the mode of designating the year from the birth of the 
Redeemer in all Christian countries. 



PRISONS, PUNISHMENTS, PENALTIES, ETC. 339 



SECTION ZKZIXV. 



PPJSONS, PUNISHMENTS, PENALTIES, TAXES, etc. 



Aid or Aide. — A tax or tribute, which in the feudal ages was 
payable to the king or chief lord on some customary occasion or 
pressing emergency. Thus, on the knighting of the eldest son of 
a king or lord, or upon the marriage of his daughter, he might 
lay an aide on his tenants. An aide might also be levied for ran- 
soming a chief lord, or to redeem a chief lord's wife or daughter. 
Aides were also imposed for the building and fortifying of 
castles. 

Bastile. — A former state prison of France, similar to the Tower 
of London. Within the walls of this once famous prison have 
been confined persons of all ranks from the highest to the lowest. 
The kings and ministers of France made it the common receptacle 
of all persons whose liberty was distasteful to them ; and some 
of the greatest atrocities that ever stained the annals of history 
were committed there. The Bastile was taken by the people and 
razed to the ground, July 14th, 1789. 

Bastinado. — A mode of punishment adopted in Turkey, Persia, 
China, and some other countries, and which consists in beating 
the soles of the feet with sticks. The victims of this cruel inflic- 
tion are constrained to crawl about on their hands and knees for 
many days afterwards, and are sometimes crippled for life. 

Black Hole of Calcutta. — A dungeon so called in Fort William, 
at Calcutta, in the East Indies. It measured only eighteen feet 
square, and within it were confined, in the year 1756, 146 English- 
men, by order of the viceroy of Bengal. The sufferings endured 
by these poor men were the most horrible that can be conceived ; 
during the night numbers died one after the other, and in the 



340 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

morning only twenty-three persons were brought forth alive, and 
these never recovered their former state of health. 

Black-Mail. — A certain rate of money, corn, cattle, or other 
valuable, anciently paid in the north of England to persons 
who were allied with robbers and plunderers, in order to be by 
them protected from pillage. This compromise with the protec- 
tors and supporters of thieves was prohibited in the reign of 
Elizabeth, and it seems to have been early checked in the English 
border counties. But in the Highlands of Scotland the exaction 
of black-mail from the Lowland borderers continued, in spite of 
every effort to put it clown, till after the rebellion of 1745. 

Boot. — An instrument of torture formerly employed in England, 
by which the leg was squeezed with great pressure for the pur- 
pose of extorting confession. 

Botany Bay. — Situated on the east coast of New South Wales, 
and so named on account of the great variety of plants found upon 
its shores. It was originally fixed on as a penal settlement for 
Great Britain. 

Bow-String. — A mode of punishment frequently practised in 
Turkey, and which consists in drawing a bow-string around the 
throat of a victim so tightly as to cause death by strangulation. 

Bridewell. — The common name for a house of correction. The 
original, which served as a hospital as well as a prison, took its 
name from St. Bride's Well adjoining. 

Burgh-Mails.— The ancient practice of yearly payments made 
to the Crown of Scotland, introduced by Malcolm the Third, and 
resembling the fee-farm rents of boroughs in England. 

Cayenne. — An island of South America, belonging to the 
French, and to which political and other offenders are commonly 
transported. The situation is low and marshy, and the air singu- 
larly unhealthy. 

Chambre Ardente — Formerly, in France, a chamber in which 
state prisoners of high rank were tried by torch-light. The cham- 
ber was hung with black cloth. When Francis the Second, in 
the sixteenth century, established a court to try Protestants, who 
were usually condemned to be burnt, this court, in allusion to its 
sentences, was likewise called chambre ardente. 



PEISONS, PUNISHMENTS, PENALTIES, ETC. 341 

Church-Scot.— Oblations paid to priests in the Middle Ages. 
The religious sometimes purchased exemption from this duty 
for their tenants and themselves. 

Crown of Hot Iron. — In Hungary, regicides and other 
criminals were formerly punished, by placing upon their heads a 
crown of iron, heated red-hot. 

Danegelt. — An annual tax laid upon the ancient inhabitants of 
England, first of one shilling, and afterwards two shillings on 
every hide of land throughout the realm, for maintaining a force 
sufficient to clear the seas of Danish pirates, which harassed the 
English coasts. 

D'Enghein, Duke, Murder of.— In 1792, the Duke D'Enghein 
took arms against the French Eepublic. In 1796, he served in 
the army of Prince Concle. In 1801, he retired and lived in 
privacy with his family. Napoleon suspecting him to be plotting 
to make himself master of the French throne, caused him to be 
taken prisoner by night, in defiance of the neutrality of the 
district where he lived. At four o'clock in the morning he 
was condemned to death, and was immediately shot. This 
atrocious murder raised a cry of universal execration against 
Napoleon ; he endeavoured to exonerate himself, but did not 
succeed ; the crime was constantly urged against him, and 
it continued to weigh upon his mind to the last moment of 
his life. 

Don Gratuit. — A free gift bestowed by the subject on the 
sovereign, in extraordinary cases, especially in countries where 
the prince can levy no new tax without the consent of the 
estates. For example, the ancient French provinces, in which 
the representation of the estates existed, namely, Burgundy, 
Provence, Languedoc, Brittany, Artois, and the kingdom of 
Navarre, granted the king a tax as a don gratuit. This used to 
be the case formerly in the Austrian Netherlands, and in the 
German ecclesiastical principalities having similar representative 
governments. 

Excise. — A tax upon the commodities forming the necessaries 
of life, was first resorted to by the Komans, in the time of 
Augustus. The Earl of Bedford recommended a similar tax to 



THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 



Charles the First, which was carried into effect in the year 1643, 
when it first took the name of Excise. 

Fifteenths. — A tribute or tax which was anciently laid upon 
English cities, boroughs, &c, throughout the whole realm. It 
amounted to the fifteenth part of that which each city or town 
was originally valued at, or the fifteenth of every man's personal 
estate, according to an equitable valuation. 

Fleet. — A long-noted prison in London, and so called from a 
stream or ditch that formerly flowed uncovered in front of it. It 
was a place of considerable antiquity, and was the receptacle for 
the victims of the Court of Star Chamber. When that tribunal 
was abolished, the Fleet was appropriated to debtors, and persons 
committed for contempt of the Courts of Chancery, Common 
Pleas, and Exchequer. 

Furca et Fossa.— In the feudal ages, a privilege granted by 
English sovereigns of summarily punishing felons — men by 
hanging, and women by drowning. 

Gafeelle. — A French term for a duty or tax, but the word 
has been variously used to express rent, custom, service, &c. In 
the French customs, the gabelle or tax on salt, was computed to 
produce one fourth of the whole revenue of the kingdom. 
Originally public granaries were established, and officers ap- 
pointed, who were alone permitted to trade in salt. This 
oppressive tax was abolished by the National Assembly. 

Garotte. — A mode of punishment in Spain, consisting ot 
strangulation. The criminal is seated with his back to an 
upright post, to which is affixed an iron collar with a screw ; this 
collar is made to clasp the neck of the criminal, and is drawn 
tighter by means of the screw, until life becomes extinct. 
The term garotte has been also applied to a mode of assault 
for the purposes of robbery, practised some time since in 
England. In such cases, the throat of the attacked person 
was suddenly and firmly compressed from behind, by the 
hands of an unseen assailant, until unconsciousness was pro- 
duced, permitting the robbery to be then perpetrated without 
resistance. 
Glencoe, Massacre of. — In 1662, an order was issued by the 



PRISONS, PUNISHMENTS, PENALTIES, ETC. 343 

English Government, to treat the Highlanders who still held out 
for James the Second with " letters of fire and sword." All the 
Jacobite chiefs submitted but one — Macdonald of G-lencoe — who, 
with his wife and his adherents, were put to death while asleep, 
at midnight. This horrible massacre excited universal execration, 
and rendered the government of William the Third odious to the 
Highlanders. 

Godfrey, Sir Edmondbury, Murder of. — This notorious 
affair is surrounded with mystery ; Sir Edmondbury was found 
dead, pierced with his own sword, and with many marks of 
violence, 17th October, 1678. His death was imputed to the 
resentment of the Papists, he having actively exerted himself in 
the discovery of the " Popish Plot." His funeral was performed 
with great pomp, no fewer than 72 clergymen preceded his 
corpse, and 1000 person of rank attended the procession. 

Gyara, Island of. — A small island in the iEgean Sea, which 
the Eomans used as a place of transportation for criminals. 

Hearth. Tax.— An impost levied in England by Charles the 
Second, 1662, upon every fireplace. It was abolished by William 
and Mary at the Kevolution. 

Impressment. — A mode of compelling men to enter into any 
service, and especially a custom which formerly prevailed in 
England, of seizing upon persons, and obliging them to enter 
the royal navy. In those times, bodies of men, termed press- 
gangs, lurked about the waterside of London, and various seaport 
towns, forcibly carrying off such persons as they considered 
eligible for the service. 

Jews, Massacre of the. — The massacre of the Jews in London 
was occasioned by an edict of Richard the First, who, on the 
day of his coronation, gave orders that no Jews should approach 
the Abbey while the solemnity was being performed, " for fear of 
the enchantment they are wont to practise." Some of 
the Jewish merchants having failed to obey this command, the 
populace committed great outrages upon their persons and pro- 
perty, burned their houses, and slew many of the owners. 

Largesse. — Among the Eomans, a free donation of corn, pro- 
visions, or clothes. The giving of largesses commenced with 



344 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

Tiberius Gracchus, when he was tribune, with a view to ingratiate 
himself with the people. In some agricultural districts of 
England, this species of tax is demanded by the labourers. 

Knout. — An instrument of punishment used in Eussia, and 
some other Northern countries ; it is a knotted bunch of thongs 
made of hide, and is applied to the back in the same manner as 
the English cat-o'-nine-tails. 

Leninian. — A term applied by the ancients to any horrible 
murder or massacre. It arose from a story narrated by Herodo- 
tus, and other ancient writers, of the women of the Island of 
Lemnos having murdered all the men, except the king Thoas, who 
was concealed by his daughter. 

Lynch Law. — Soon after the revolutionary war in America, 
many lawless acts were committed by the disbanded soldiers, 
especially in the Southern States, and in parts where, from the 
remoteness of circuit towns, it was impossible to bring offenders to 
justice. Under these circumstances, the constituted authorities 
were often obliged to connive at the infliction of summary punish- 
ment by the inhabitants on notorious delinquents. The people of 
the mountainous parts of Carolina deputed a man of the name of 
Lynch, to act for them in such cases ; and hence, offenders 
punished in this summary way, are said to have been judged by 
Lynch law. 

Mamertine Prisons. — Horrible places of confinement, in which 
the ancient Romans placed their state prisoners. They con- 
sisted of two apartments, one built over the other, and the only 
entrance afforded was by a small aperture in the roof of the 
upper apartment, and a similar hole in the floor which led to the 
lower cell. The upper prison was 27 feet long, by 20 wide, and the 
lower was 20 feet by 10 ; the height of the former was 14 feet, 
of the latter 7 feet. The whole construction was of large 
uncemented stones. 

Minage. — An ancient English toll or duty, fixed at a certain 
rate per mina, a measure by which corn was sold. 

Eoya&es. — A mode of punishment employed during the first 
French Revolution, inflicted by drawing out a plug inserted in 
the bottom of a boat in which the victims were launched. 



PRISONS, PUNISHMENTS, PENALTIES, ETC. 345 

Octroi. — An old French term signifying a grant or privilege 
from Government, and particularly applied to a person, or to a 
company. In the like sense, the term is applied to the con- 
stitution of a state granted by a prince, in contradistinction from 
a compact between a ruler and the representatives of the people. 
Octroi also signifies a tax levied at the gates of some cities ot 
France, upon all articles of food. 

Ostracism. — In ancient Athens, an arrangement by which any 
citizen who was so superior to his fellows in power, influence, 
authority, or other qualities, as to endanger the civic equality, 
or the democratic constitution of the state, might be banished for 
a term of years (usually ten). The term was derived from the 
Greek word for the shell (ostracon), on which the name of the 
accused citizen was written. 

Outlawry. — The putting one out of the protection of the law. 
Anciently, in England, an outlawed felon Avas said to have a 
wolf's head, and might be knocked on the head like a wolf, by 
any one who should meet him ; for, having himself renounced or 
evaded the law, he was to lose its protection, and be dealt with as 
in a state of nature, where every one that should find him might 
slay him. But the inhumanity of the law has become considerably 
ameliorated in this respect ; and hence, the legal disabilities of an 
outlaw are, that any person may arrest him with or without 
warrant, and that he cannot bring any suit or process in his own 
name ; he is thus deprived of the benefit of the law, and is 
consequently stripped of all his civil rights. A defendant is 
outlawed, in England, upon certain proceedings being had, when 
he does not appear to answer to an indictment or process. 

Panopticon. — The name given by Jeremy Bentham to a prison 
recommended by him, the cells of which were to be so constructed 
that the inspector could see each prisoner at all times without 
being seen himself. 

Peine Forte et Dure. — " The strong and hard pain." A punish- 
ment formerly inflicted upon accused persons who remained mute, 
or refused to plead when put upon trial. In such ease, the prisoner 
was conducted to a low dark chamber, and laid on his back on the 
bare floor ; as great a weight of iron as he could bear was next 



346 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: 

placed upon him, and in this situation he was sparingly supplied with 
bread and water till he died, or submitted to answer. By suffering 
this terrible punishment, the possessions of the criminal were not 
forfeited to the Crown ; and thus instances have been known where 
it has been endured rather than plead guilty, in order that the 
sufferer might not deprive his children of their inheritance. 

Petalisin. — A custom somewhat similar to ostracism ; it took 
its name from the decree being written on an olive-leaf ; it was 
in force among the Syracusans, and the banishment under its 
operation lasted five years. 

Peter Pence. — An annual tribute of one penny on each house 
throughout England, formerly paid to the Pope on the feast of 
St. Peter. It was at first given as a pension or alms by Ina, king 
of the West Saxons, in 727, who was then in pilgrimage at Rome, 
and it was chiefly meant for the support of the English school or 
college at Rome ; the Popes, however, appropriated it to them- 
selves. This tribute continued to be generally paid till the reign 
of Henry the Eighth, when it was prohibited ; it was revived 
under Philip and Mary, but was finally abolished by Queen 
Elizabeth. Subscriptions and levies in aid of the Pope at the 
present day still retain this name. 

Phalaris's Brazen Bull. — Phalaris was a tyrant of Agrigentum, 
in Sicily ; he was infamous for his cruelty, and, according to 
tradition, especially so for the device of burning the victims of his 
savage tyranny in a bull of bronze, in order that he might enjoy 
the pleasure of hearing their cries. Phalaris was deposed and 
put to death in the same manner as he had practised upon others. 

Pillory. — A scaffold for persons to stand in for the purpose of 
exhibiting them to public scorn and ridicule. It was contrived 
so as to admit of the arms and head being thrust through, so that 
the person under punishment exposed himself to any missiles 
that might be thrown at him by the crowd, without the power of 
protecting himself or warding off the blow. 

Poll-Tax. — A tax imposed on the person or head (poll), either 
on all indifferently, or according to some recognizable mark or 
distinction, as quality, calling, &c. This tax when first levied in 
England, 1378, caused the rebellion of Wat Tyler. It was again 



PRISONS, PUNISHMENTS, PENALTIES, ETC. 347 

levied in 1513. In the reign of Charles the Second every subject 
was assessed by the head, namely, a duke, £100 ; marquis, £80 : 
baronet, £30 ; knight, £20 ; esquire, £10 ; and every private 
person 12c?. This impost was abolished by William the Third. 

Rack, — An engine of torture furnished with pulleys, cords, &c, 
employed for the purpose of extorting confessions from criminals. 
It produced a most painful sensation upon the muscles and nerves 
of the body, and frequently induced the sufferer to accuse inno- 
cent persons in order that his own torments might be abridged. 

Eelegatio. — A species of banishment with which the Romans 
punished certain criminals. It differed from exile, properly so 
called, for although the offender was sent to a certain place for 
a definite period, or even for life, he was not deprived of the 
privileges of a Eoman citizen. Under this name the Emperor 
Claudius devised a restraint for suspected persons, who were 
forbidden to stir three miles from the city. 

St. Bartholomew, Massacre of. — One of the most horrible 
events in history, took place August 24th, 1572, at the instigation 
of Charles the Ninth of France. Previous to this occurrence the 
number of Protestants, or, as they were called, Huguenots, had 
long been increasing in France, and the utmost animosity pre- 
vailed among the Catholics against them. The hatred between 
the two parties increased, and extended to all parts of the 
kingdom. After several obstinate and bloody battles being fought 
without either party being subdued, Charles determined upon 
concluding a mock peace with the Huguenots, to enable him to 
carry out the execrable design he conceived of annihilating the 
Protestant party. In order to cloak his intentions, he offered his 
sister Margaret in marriage to the young king of Navarre, and 
invited all the most influential persons of the Protestant party to 
Paris to assist in the celebration of the nuptials. The invitation 
was cheerfully accepted, and in the midst of the rejoicings, on 
the memorable eve of St. Bartholomew, the Huguenots were set 
upon and indiscriminately slaughtered. The king himself directed 
this horrible butchery, firing on the fugitives, and shouting 
incessantly, "Kill! kill!" Five hundred gentlemen and ten 
thousand inferior persons were slain in Paris alone, and sixty 



348 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

thousand Protestants in different parts of France were victi- 
mised. 

Salt-Silver. — In the feudal ages one penny paid at the feast of 
St. Martin, by the tenants of some manors, as a commutation for 
the service of carrying their lord's salt from market to his larder. 

Sheep-Silver. — A sum of money paid by feudal tenants as a 
compromise for the service of washing their lord's sheep. 

Sicilian Vespers. — A horrible massacre, which took place at 
Palermo on the 20th of March, 1282, and so named because 
it commenced at the moment when the vesper bell was 
ringing. The account says that on Easter Monday, the 20th of 
March, 1282, the people of Palermo, according to their usual 
custom on a holiday, were proceeding to hear vespers at the church 
of Monreale, about three miles from the town, when a French 
soldier among the crowd offered an insult to a young maiden, 
who was walking with her betrothed and her brothers. These 
young men, incensed at the act, wrested the Frenchman's sword 
from him and slew him ; the surrounding Sicilians, whose minds 
had long been brooding over the remembrance of many such 
wrongs, fell upon the other French who were dispersed among 
them, and put them all to death. Their fury increasing with their 
success, they returned to the town of Palermo, and continued the 
work of slaughter, killing every one of French or Provencal birth, 
men, women, and children, without pity. The other inhabitants of 
Sicily followed their example, and every one of the hated French 
throughout the island was murdered, excepting the family of one 
Provencal knight, who had been so kind to the people of his fief, 
that they defended him from the other Sicilians, and sent him in 
safety to Italy. 

Silent System. — A mode of punishment by which prisoners are 
confined in separate cells, and deprived of the privilege of holding 
conversation with any one. It has been adopted in America 
with some success, but in England it signally failed, inducing 
insanity and other serious results not contemplated when the 
punishment was awarded. 

Swarf-Money.— A feudal tribute of one halfpenny, paid to the 
lord before the rising of the sun. 



PRISONS, PUNISHMENTS, PENALTIES, ETC. 349 

Tarring and Feathering. — A peculiar kind of punishment 
inflicted by the populace on persons who have rendered them- 
selves obnoxious by some political or social misdeed. It is ex- ' 
tensively practised in America, and among seamen of all nations, 
and is of European origin, dating as far back as Eichard Coeur- 
de-Lion. The mode of proceeding is to immerse the head and 
sometimes the whole body in pitcli or tar, and then to shake 
feathers over it, which, of course, immediately adhere ; the person 
thus punished is rendered so conspicuous as to be at once re- 
cognizable as a public enemy. 

Taxation Direct and Indirect. — Direct taxation is that which 
is levied upon a person's income or earnings. Indirect taxation, 
that which is charged on articles of consumption or use. 

Temple, Palace of the. — An edifice in Paris, built in 1222, as 
a residence for the Templars, whence its name. On the suppression 
of the order it was given to the Knights of Malta, and after the 
destruction of the Bastile, the tower was converted into a prison 
of state. Louis the Sixteenth was confined there, with his family, 
previous to his execution. 

Tribute. — The original meaning of this term was the money 
paid by each tribe to defray the public expenses, and 'afterwards 
extended to signify a sum of money which one prince or state 
was obliged to pay to another as a token of dependency, or in 
virtue of a treaty, and as the purchase-money of peace. 

Trinoda Necessitas. — " A three-fold necessity." The name ofr 
a three-fold tax among the Saxons, being levied for the repair of 
bridges, the maintenance of garrisons, and the repelling of in- 
vaders. No person was exempted from it. 

Troughs. — A punishment inflicted among the Persians, usually 
on state offenders. The criminal was placed upon his back in a 
trough, and firmly fastened to the four corners of it ; another 
trough was placed over this, with holes in it, so that the head, 
hands, and feet were exposed. In this situation food and drink 
were supplied to him from time to time ; honey was also smeared 
over the face, which being continually exposed to the sun attracted 
a multitude of flies, and gave the victim horrible torture. In this 



350 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

manner he sometimes lingered for fifteen or twenty days, 
enduring the most dreadful agony. 

Vade in Pace.— The name of a species of punishment anciently 
adopted in monastic communities, sometimes taking the form of 
perpetual solitary imprisonment, and at others starvation to death 
in prison The punishment acquired this name from the words 
in which the sentence was pronounced, Vade in Pace (go in peace). 

Wolf S-Head. — Among the Saxons the condition of such as 
were outlawed, who, if they could not be taken alive to be brought 
to justice, might be slain, and their heads brought to the king ; 
they being no more accounted of than the head of a wolf, a beast 
then considered the greatest enemy of man.— See Outlaw. 

TfflytQ, — Among ancient English customs a pecuniary penalty or 
mulct for various offences ; it was not limited to any certain sum, 
but was varied at discretion according to the merits of the case. 

Zealot Massacre.— In the year 67 a contest began between the 
Jews and Romans as to whom the city of Csesarea belonged to, and 
this was the immediate cause of a war between the Jews and the 
Syrians. The Jews maintained that the city belonged to them, 
because it had been built by Herod. The Syrians, on the other 
hand, claimed it as a Greek city. At length Nero, the Soman 
emperor, decided against the Jews. This incensed the latter to 
such a degree that a party of " Zealots " was formed, who arose 
and massacred 12,000 Romans of noble extraction, in the flower 
of their age. 



PARLIAMENTARY TERMS, ETC. 351 



SECTION ZXVI. 

PAELIAMENTARY TERMS, LEGAL AND COMMERCIAL 
PHRASES, etc. 

Adjournment. — The continuation of the Parliamentary session 
from one day to another day, named at the time of adjournment ; 
the House may thus suspend its sittings for a fortnight or a month 
together. 

African Company. — An association of traders established by 
Act of Parliament in 1754. The charter was recalled in 1821, 
and the company's possessions annexed to the colony of Sierra 
Leone. 

Angel. — A piece of money anciently coined and impressed 
with an angel. It was originally a gold coin of France, where it 
was first circulated in 1340. It appears to have been introduced 
into England by Edward the Fourth, in 1465. Charles the First 
was the last English sovereign who coined the angel. 

Assignats. — A species of paper-money issued during the first 
French Revolution, based on the security of lands belonging to the 
State. The notes thus issued were equivalent to 100 francs (£4) 
each, and were called assignats, as representing lands which might 
be transferred or assigned to the holder. 

Assize of Bread. — From the year 1266, in the reign of Henry 
the Third, the price at which bread should be sold had been deter- 
mined from time to time by the magistrates, according to the 
current price of corn, which was called " setting the assize." 

Assuming the Purple. — Among the Romans, the accession to 
sovereign power or high office was thus alluded to. Purple 
was considered the rarest and most beautiful dye, and thus became 
the distinguishing colour of power and rank ; upon the accession 
of Julius Caesar it was prohibited to be worn by any private 



352 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

person. Garments of purple colour were also worn by princes 
and potentates in Judea and in Greece. 

Balance of Trade. — A term in commerce, denoting the equality 
between the value of the commodities bought of foreigners, and 
the value of the hom§ productions exported to other countries. 

Bank of England. — This institution, which exercises an 
incalculable amount of influence in a variety of ways, was 
projected by a merchant named Patterson. It was incorporated 
by William the Third, in 1694, when the whole of its capital was 
lent to Government. The profits of the company arise from the 
interest of the Government debt, their annual advances on exche- 
quer bills, and many other sources. 

Bawbee. — A word used in Scotland, and in the northern coun- 
ties of England, for a halfpenny. The Scottish coin " sixpennies " 
was struck in the reign of James the Second, who came to the 
throne when only six years of age ; his portrait, therefore, Avas 
naturally that of a baby, from which circumstance it was termed 
. a bawbee, which, in some parts of Scotland, is the pronunciation 
for baby. 

Bezant. — Round, flat pieces of pure gold, without any impres- 
sion, supposed to have been the current coin of Byzantium. 

Bine Books. — The name given to those volumes of statistics, 
commissions, official inquiries, enactments, and orders of the clay, 
which are printed for the especial use of the members of the 
Houses of Parliament. They are so called from the blue covers 
in which they are bound. 

Broad Piece. — A denomination which has been given to some 
English gold pieces broader than a guinea, particularly Caroluses 
and Jacobuses. 

Budget. — In Parliamentary language, to open the budget, is to 
lay before the legislative assembly a statement of the finances 
and ways and means of the kingdom, which is done annually by 
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, comprehending a general view 
of the National Debt, income and expenditure, the proposed plan 
of taxation for the ensuing year, remission of imposts, and a 
general view of the actual income and expenditure of the by-gone 
year. 



PARLIAMENTARY TERMS, ETC. 353 

Call of the House. — In Parliamentary proceedings, the calling 
over the names of the members, each member answering to 
his name, and leaving the House in the order in which he is 
called. 

Cllilteni Hundreds. — Takes its name from a ridge of chalky 
hills traversing a portion of the county of Bucks. The office of 
" Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds " was established for the 
purpose of suppressing bands of depredators, who, in former 
times, infested the forests in the neighbourhood of these hills ; 
and as members of the House of Commons cannot literally resign 
their seats, this institution has been retained to enable them to 
accomplish their resignation in a constitutional manner, inasmuch 
as acceptance of office under the Crown, renders a seat vacant. 
The office itself is a mere sinecure ; the duties are nominal, and 
the remuneration nothing. 

Committee of the Whole House. — When the whole House 
resolves itself into a committee, the functions of the Speaker are 
temporarily suspended ; he vacates the chair ; the mace, the 
ensign of his authority, is removed from the table, and another 
member is appointed to preside. While the House is thus in 
committee, each member may speak as often as he pleases ;' 
whereas, when the House is not in committee, no member may 
speak more than once on the same question, unless to explain 
himself. 

Count Out. — In order to form a Parliamentary sitting, it is 
necessary that forty members should be present. It is competent 
for any member to desire that the House be counted ; the Speaker 
does this, and if there be less than forty members, he declares the 
sitting to be at an end ; but if the House be made up to forty 
members, even while he is counting, the House resumes business. 

Crockards. — Foreign coins of base metal, which obtained cir- 
culation in England in the thirteenth century. They were prohi- 
bited under severe penalties. 

Crown of the Sun. — A French coin, first struck by Louis the 
Eleventh, in 1475, and by a proclamation of Henry the Eighth, 
ordered to be received as current coin in England. 

Daric. — A Persian gold coin, of about 130 grains. It was so 

N 



354 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

called by the Greeks from Darius, the name of several of the 
Persian monarchs. 

Dead-Weight.— The name given in the Bank of England to 
the advance made by it to the Government on account of the 
half-pay and pensions of retired officers of the army and navy. 

Denarius. — In ancient Rome, the chief silver coin among the 
Romans, worth 8d. As a weight, it was the seventh part of the 
Roman ounce. 

Denier. — A French coin now out of use. It consisted of twenty 
sous. 

Dissolution of Parliament. — The extinction of the existing 
Parliament, which takes place by order of the new monarch on 
the death of his predecessor, or at the expiration of the term 
granted by law for its continuance, or by command of the sovereign 
before it has accomplished the full legal term of seven years. 

Doit. — The ancient Scotch penny-piece, of which twelve were 
equal to a penny sterling. 

East India Company. — An association originating from the 
subscriptions of a few private individuals, formed into a company 
in 1599. In the following year a charter was obtained granting 
certain privileges for a term of years. The first title of the com- 
pany was " The Governor and Company of Merchants of London, 
trading to the East Indies." Their second title, " The United 
Joint Stock." Charters were from time to time granted, which 
gave the company exclusive right to trade to certain places. In 
1833, the charter was renewed for twenty years, with certain 
restrictions, and the company is now finally abolished. 

Ex Mero Motu. — A phrase employed in charters and letters 
patent, to signify that they are granted by the sovereign of his 
own free will and motion, that is, without petition. 

Exchange, Bills of. — This kind of negotiable security for 
money originated with the Jews, who, being banished from France 
for some heinous crimes charged upon them, returned into 
Lombardy about the twelfth century, and found means to with- 
draw their effects, which they had lodged in the hands of friends, 
by secret letters and bills conceived in short precise terms like the 
modern bills of exchange, and this by the assistance of merchants 



PARLIAMENTARY TERMS, ETC. 355 

and travellers ; and the practice soon spread throughout Europe. 
Bills of exchange are first mentioned as being negotiated at 
Hamburg in 1188 ; they were in use in England, 1307. 

Exchange, Course of. — The. current price or rate at which the 
coin of one country is exchanged for that of another ; and which, 
depending as it does upon the balance of trade, political relations, 
and domestic affairs, is always fluctuating. 

Exchequer Bills. — The Government securities, so called, were 
first issued in 1697, and first circulated by the Bank in 1796. 
These bills are, in effect, accommodation notes of Government, 
that are issued in anticipation of taxes, at daily interest ; and 
being received for taxes, and paid in lieu thereof by the Bank in 
its dealings with the Exchequer, they usually bear a premium. 

Florin. — A coin first used by the Florentines, whence its 
name. 

Gangway, Below the. — That part of the House of Commons 
where are usually seated the " independent members," or those 
who are not pledged either to support the ministry or to join the 
opposition. 

Gaol Delivery. — A judicial process for clearing gaols of 
criminals by trial and condemnation, or by acquittal. The com- 
mission of gaol delivery is a patent or authority in the nature of a 
letter from the sovereign, directed to the justices of assize of 
each circuit, and others, constituting them his justices, and 
authorizing them to deliver his gaol at a particular town of all 
the prisoners in it, whenever or before whomsoever indicted, or 
for whatever crimes committed. 

Great Seal. — The office of Lord Chancellor of England is con- 
ferred by the sovereign simply delivering the Great Seal to the 
person who is to hold it, addressing him by the title which he is 
to bear. The great seal is considered the emblem of sovereignty ; 
and is the only instrument by which, on solemn occasions, the 
will of the sovereign can be expressed. Absolute faith is univer- 
sally given to every document purporting to be under the great 
seal, as having been duly sealed with it by the authority of the 
sovereign. 

Guinea, — An English coin of the value of twenty-one shillings, 
n 2 



356 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

so called because it was first coined with gold brought from the 
coast of Guinea, in Western Africa. 

Hilary Term. — The term of courts in England, which begins 
January 11th, and ends January 31st. It derives its name from 
St. Hilary, whose festival takes place about this period. 

Hudson's Bay Company. — An association established for the 
express object of procuring furs, chartered by Charles the 
Second in 1670. This remarkable trading company has succeeded 
in founding several settlements, and forming numerous establish- 
ments from the persons employed by them. Their latest acqui- 
sition was Vancouver's Island, which was granted them by the 
British Government in 1848. 

Inns of Chancery. — These are eight in number, and are 
societies subordinate to the Inns of Court, and are principally 
occupied by the lower branches of the profession ; they are, 
Clifford's Inn, Clement's Inn, Lyon's Inn, New Inn, Furnival's 
Inn, Thaives Inn, Staple Inn, and Barnard's Inn. 

Inns of Court. — Four societies in London for students-at-law, 
qualifying them to be called to the Bar ; namely, the Inner 
Temple, Middle Temple, Lincoln's Inn, and Gray's Inn. 

Knight of the Shire. — An appellation given to the representa- 
tive in Parliament of English counties at large, as distinguished 
from such cities and towns as are counties of themselves, and the 
representatives of which, as well as the members for other cities 
and towns, are denominated citizens or burgesses. 

Lac of Rupees.— An East Indian term denoting 100,000 
rupees, or about £12,000 sterling. 

Lloyd's List. — A publication in which the shipping news 
received at Lloyd's is published, and which, on account of the 
special and important information contained in it, is of the greatest 
service to merchants, shippers, and others. Lloyd's was formerly 
a coffee-house in London, on the northern side of the Royal 
Exchange, resorted to by eminent merchants, insurance brokers, 
under-writers, &c. A place of meeting in connection with the 
Exchange still exists, retaining the name of Lloyd's. 

Louis d'Or. — A gold coin in the old system of France, first 
struck under Louis the Thirteenth, in 1641. Louis d'Ors passed 



PARLIAMENTARY TERMS, ETC. 357 

as current coin in most parts of the Continent, their value 
fluctuating from 18s. 6cl. to 21s. sterling. Upon the return of 
the Bourbon family, the twenty-five franc pieces struck by 
Louis the Eighteenth, received the name of Louis d'Or; a 
designation which is likewise given occasionally to the same 
coin struck by Louis Philippe. 

Miaa. — A money of ancient Greece equal to 100 drachmas, 
or about £2 17s. There was a less mina valued at seventy-five 
drachmas. 

ITapoIeon. — A French gold coin, bearing the effigy of 
Napoleon Bonaparte. There were two kinds, those of forty 
francs and those of twenty francs. 

National Debt. — The aggregate amount of sums owing by 
a State to persons who have lent money to it for the purpose 
of carrying on war and other operations ; and upon which a 
stipulated interest is paid to the lenders. The national debt 
of England owes its origin to William the Third, who being 
destitute of funds, became a large borrower to defray the 
expenses attendant upon the prosecution of his claim to the 
throne 01 England. 

Nisi Prills. — A phrase in English law signifying literally 
" unless before," such words being contained in the ancient 
writ, and still used in the present day. This phrase came 
afterwards to be adopted as a general term descriptive of a 
large class of judicial business which is transacted before the 
judges of the supreme courts, and the law relating to the various 
matters which thus arise, is somewhat indefinitely called the law 
of Nisi Prius. 

EVole. — An ancient English coin of the value of 6s. 8d. It 
was first struck in the reign of Edward the Third, and being 
stamped with a rose, was thence called a rose noble. 

Opposition Party. — That party in the House of Commons 
which is opposed to the ministry and their supporters. It is 
regularly organized, and has a recognized leader. 

Order of tlie Bay. — In parliamentary usage one method of 
superseding a ^question, already proposed, is to move " for the 
order of the day to be read." This motion, to entitle it to 



358 THE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST: 

precedence, must be for the order generally, and not for any 
particular order ; and if this be carried, the orders must be read 
and proceeded with in the course in which they stood. But it 
can in its turn be superseded by a motion to adjourn. 

Oyer and Terminer. — In law, a commission under the great 
seal, directed to certain persons, among whom two common law 
judges are usually appointed, empowering them to hear and 
determine treason, felonies, robberies, and criminal offences in 
general. 

Yes. — A law term corrupted from the French oyez, hear ye. 
It is used by the crier of a court, in order to enforce silence 
when any proclamation is about to be made. 

Padlian Coins. — Coins, holding the first rank in imitation of 
ancient medals, for their masterly execution ; they were forged 
by Cavino and Bassiano, celebrated natives of Padua. 

Paper Currency. — A substitute for coin issued on the credit 
of Government in the shape of bank notes. 

Pin-Money. — A term commonly used to signify the pecuniary 
allowance made in favour of a wife for her separate use. It is 
derived from the custom which formerly prevailed of presenting 
pins to ladies as new year's gifts ; pins being at the time articles 
of some little value. These gifts were sometimes compounded 
for by a certain sum, which was hence called " pin-money." 

Previous Question. — This in parliamentary practice can only 
be moved in "a house," and not in committee; its object is 
to summarily dispose of some other question at the time being, 
under debate. 

Privilege of Parliament. — A term denoting the various 
privileges and immunities which attach to Members of Parliament 
by virtue of their seats. They comprise, freedom of speech in 
debate ; freedom from arrest in civil suits ; exemption from 
serving on juries ; together with other ancient privileges which 
are not defined. 

Privy Seal. — All charters, pardons, &c, which require the 
affixing of the great seal, pass first through the hands of the 
Keeper of the Privy Seal ; and other instruments.pf less import- 
ance pass the privy seal only. The Keeper, is an officer of 
state, styled Lord Privy Seal. 



PAKLIAMENTARY TEEMS, ETC. 359 

Prorogation. — The continuance of the parliament from one 
season to another, notified generally by the royal proclamation. 

Protest. — A peculiar privilege of the House of Lords. Each 
peer, when a vote passes which is not in accordance with his 
sentiments, has a right to enter his dissent upon the journals 
of the House, called his protest. 

Queen Anne's Farthing.— The erroneous opinion that only 
three of these farthings were struck in Queen Anne's reign, is 
founded on the circumstance that these were some pattern or 
proof coins, which got into circulation, in addition to the coin 
which was actually in use. On this account, these coins are 
scarce among collectors, and are valued at from one to five pounds. 

South Sea Bubble. — This term is applied to a company- 
instituted in 1710, and incorporated in 1716. Under cover of 
its legality, enormous frauds were carried on; and thousands 
of persons were ruined by it. By cunning and misrepresentation, 
shares originally valued at £100 rose to the enormous price of 
£1000. The scheme fell through in 1720; when the directors' 
estates were seized, and several persons high in power were 
fined and others were punished. 

Standing Orders.— A series of regulations adopted by way of 
resolutions of the House of Lords at various periods, from 1685 to 
the present time, relating partly to the internal order, &c, of the 
House, partly to certain preliminaries and forms required on the 
introduction of particular bills, both public and private, and 
to the promulgation of statutes. 

Sterling. — A designation applied to the coin of the realm, 
supposed to be derived from easterling, the name of a money 
coined by Eichard the Second. 

Superior Courts. — The three superior common law courts of 
England, are the Courts of Queen's Bench, of Common Pleas, 
and of the Exchequer. 

Third Night Awn-Hinde.— By the laws of Edward the Con- 
fessor if any man lay a third night at an inn, he was called a 
Third Night Awn-Hinde, for whom his host was answerable if 
he committed any offence; the first night he was reckoned a 
stranger ; the second night, a guest ; the third night, an awn- 
hinde, or domestic. 



360 TPIE HISTORICAL FINGER-POST : 

This Day Six Months. — A parliamentary term for an indefinite 
period of postponement ; thus, when it is proposed to read a bill 
" this day six months," it is tantamount to a final dismissal. 

Tontine. — A peculiar mode of investment invented by Lorenzo 
Tonti, an Italian of the seventeenth century, and from whom this 
method took its name. The operation is as follows : — A certain 
capital is borrowed at the usual rate of interest. This interest 
is divided equally among the members of equal age, and among 
those of unequal ages it is divided in proportion to their age. 
This interest is paid as long as one of the society remains alive, 
and when one of the members dies, his portion of the income is 
inherited by the surviving members, so that the last survivor 
enjoys during his life the whole income. At his death the interest 
ceases, and the borrower obtains his capital. The same principle 
may be applied to a variety of schemes in connection with 
survivorship. 

Treasury Bench. — A designation for the officers collectively 
who have the management of the civil list and other revenues. 
The duties are executed by a board of five lords commissioners, 
the chief of whom is generally the prime minister for the time 
being, and associated with him the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 
The other officers are termed junior lords. 

Whipper-in. — A semi-official functionary in connection with 
Parliament, whose duty it is to bring together the members of 
the party for whom he acts when their votes are required. He 
is otherwise expected by the exercise of judgment and tact to 
maintain harmony and loyalty in the political ranks. 

Yfhite Bait Dinner. — An annual festival celebrated by the 
members of the English cabinet. It generally takes place just 
before the close of the parliamentary session. The dinner is usually 
partaken of at a tavern at Greenwich, or some other water-side 
place, the delicate fish known as white bait forming the principal 
comestible ■ each diner contributes his quota to the entertainment ; 
all ceremony is for the occasion laid aside ; and the officials regard 
the whole affair very like a schoolboy's holiday. 



INDEX, 



Abb's head 


131 


Albinos 


146 


Anson's voyage 


Abdera 


131 


Albion 


228 


Antediluvians 


Abelard and Heloise 


187 


Al Borak 


172 


Antichrist 


Abhorrers and petitioners 


29 


Alcoran 


265 


Anti-Jacobin 


Abii 


146 


Aldine editions 


275 


Antipodes 


Abjuration, oath of 


106 


Alectryomancy 


172 


Antipope 


Aborigines 


146 


Alexandrian library 


275 


Apocalyptic knights 


Abracadabra 


171 


Alexandrian school 


275 


Apollo Belvedere 


Abrahamites 


79 


Alexandrine verse 


275 


Apologies of the fathers 


Abraxas 


171 


Algeria 


131 


Apostolic church 


Absolutists 


29 


Alhambra 


318 


Apostolic fathers 


Abstain from beans 


250 


All is lost save honour ... 


250 


Apotheosis 


Academy, royal 


275 


Alliance, holy 


71 


Appian way 


According to Cocker ... 


231 


Alliance, quadruple 


74 


AquaToffania 


Achasan league 


67 


Alonzo the brave 


197 


Aquitaine, province of ... 


Acre, siege of 


1 


Alpha and Omega 


228 


Arabesque 


Acrobates 


146 


Alphabet, Runic 


287 


Arabia Felix 


Act of settlement 


128 


Alphonsine tables 


276 


Arabic figures 


Act of uniformity 


130 


Alter ego 


228 


Arcadians 


Acta populi 


265 


Am I not a man and a 




Arcanum ... 


Acta sanctorum 


265 


brother ? 


250 


Arch-Duke 


Actium, battle of 


1 


Amadis de Gaul 


187 


Archimedes' screw 


Acts of sederunt 


127 


Amazons 


146 


Archon 


Adamites 


79 


Amber witch 


265 


Areola, battle of 


Adjournment 


351 


Amende honorable 


106 


Arena 


Admirable Crichton 


203 


America, British 


133 


Argentine republic 


Adriatic, wedding the ... 


317 


American Congress 


69 


Argonautic expedition ... 


jEdile 


57 


American democrats ... 


31 


Argument of kings, last 


Affghanwar 


1 


American independence, 




Arians 


Affiches 


106 


declaration of 




Aristai-chus, the critic ... 


Africa, central 


131 


American republicans ... 


37 


Aristides the just 


African company 


351 


American Stamp Act ... 


107 


Aristocracy, cold shade of 


Africanus, Scipio 


223 


Amiens, peace of 


67 


the 


After me the Deluge ... 


250 


Amphictyon council 


67 


Aristocracy 


Age, Augustan 


326 


Amulets 


172 


Aristotelian philosophy... 


Age, golden 


331 


Amy Kobsart 


194 


Armada, Spanish 


Ages, middle 


334 


Anabaptists 


79 


Armenian church 


Agincourt, battle of 


1 


Anacharsis Cloots 


202 


Arragon, kingdom of ... 


Agitation, repeal 


25 


Anacreontic verse 


276 


Arrow, broad 


Agnus Dei 


172 


Anak, sons of 


146 


Arrow-headed characters 


Agrarian laws 


106 


xVncient comedy, prince of 


197 


Arthur's round table ... 


Aguillaneuf 


326 


Ancient history 


326 


Articles, six 


Aid or aide (tax) 


339 


Andalusia 


131 


Articles, thirty-nine 


Aird's Moss 


131 


Angel (coin) 


351 


Arundel marbles 


Aix-la-Chapelle, treaty of C7 


Anglican church 


79 


| As rich as Croesus 


A'Kempis, Thomas 


197 


Anglo-Saxons 


146 


As soon as a slave sets 


AlaLanterne 


250 


Anjou, province of 


49 


foot on English terri- 


Albero d'Oro 


318 


Another such victory and 




tory, he becomes free 


Albigenses 


79 


I am undone 


250 


Ass, golden 



276 
147 



147 
57 
290 
318 
266 

80 

80 
172 
131 
276 

49 
276 
132 
276 
147 
173 

57 
277 

57 

2 

303 

49 

2 

239 

80 
197 
197 

251 

49 

98 

11 

80 

49 

291 

277 

188 

129 

129 

318 

233 



220 
269 



362 



INDEX. 



Assam 


132 


Barricades of Paris 


16 


Belvedere, Apollo 


318 


Assassin 


147 


Basket, procession of the 


326 


Benedictines 


80 


Assent, royal 


126 


Basque roads, cutting- 




Benefit of Clergy 


304 


Asses, feast of 


326 


out in ... 


2 


Bengalee year 


327 


Assiento 


107 


Basset 


327 


Benthamites 


98 


Assignats 


351 


Bastia, lion of 


322 


Bentinck, Dutch 


199 


Assize, black 


327 


Bastile- 


339 


Berlin, decrees of 


108 


Assize of bread 


351 


Bastinado 


339 


Bermudas 


132 


Assuming the purple ... 


351 


Bath, order of the 


290 


Berwick-upon-Tweed ... 


132 


Asturias 


132 


Battel roll 


266 


Bey 


58 


Atelier de charite" 


303 


Battel, wager of 


316 


Bezant 


352 


Ateliers nationaux 


50 


Battle of Actium 


1 


Beza's Codex 


267 


Athenseum 


303 


Battle of Agincourt 


1 


Bible, Bishop's or Parker's 


267 


Athenian Stewart 


225 


Battle of Areola 


2 


Bible, Breeches 


267 


Athenians, remember the 


260 


Battle of Bannockburn ... 


2 


Bible, Coverdale's 


268 


Athens, modern ... 


225 


Battle of the Boyne 


3 


Bible, Cranmer's 


268 


Athleta? 


147 


Battle of Brandy wine ... 


3 


Bible, Douay 


269 


Attache 


57 


Battle of Bunker's Hill ... 


3 


Bible, Geneva 


269 


Attainder 


107 


Battle of Chseronea 


3 


Bible, Mathewe's 


271 


Attic Bee... 


197 


Battle of Corunna 


4 


Bicetre 


304 


Atys, dumb 


205 


Battle of Crecy 


4 


Bien aime 


199 


Augurs 


147 


Battle of Flodden Field- 


5 


Biens nationaux 


168 


Augury 


173 


Battle of Hastings 


6 


Bill of exceptions 


114 


Augustan age 


326 


Battle of Lodi 


6 


Bill of exclusion 


114 


Aulic council 


67 


Battle of Malplaquet ... 


7 


Bill of rights 


125 


Aurungzebe 


197 


Battle of Marathon 


7 


Bills of exchange 


354 


Austrian succession, war of 


Battle of Marston Moor... 


7 


Bills of pains & penalties 


122 


Auto da fe 


303 


Battle of Pavia 


8 


Birman empire 


50 


Autocracy 


50 


Battle of Pharsalia 


9 


Bishop of Osnaburg 


216 


Autocrat 


57 


Battle of Philippi 


9 


Bishop's bible 


267 


Aut Caesar aut nullus ... 


251 


Battle of Poictiers 


9 


Bishops, the seven 


224 


Avatar 


173 


Battle of Pultowa 


9 


Black act 


108 


Avoirdupois weight 


288 


Battle of the Spurs 


11 


Black assize 


327 


Avon, swan of 


198 


Battle, tearless 


12 


Black book 


267 


Awn hinde, third night 


359 


Battle of Vinegar Hill ... 


14 


Black Brunswickers 


163 


Ayrshire Ploughman 




Bavius and Maevius 


198 


Black forest 


132 


(Burns) 


198 


Bawbee ... 


352 


Black hole of Calcutta ... 


339 


Aztecs ... 


147 


Bayaderes 


148 


Black letter 


277 






Bayeux tapestry 


319 


Black mail 


340 


Babington's conspiracy... 


15 


Bays 


290 


Black Monday 


327 


Back woods 


132 


Bead roll 


266 


Black mountain 


140 


Bacon's brazen head ... 


173 


Beans, abstain from 


250 


Black Prince 


199 


Balance of trade. 


352 


Bear the bell 


229 


Black rod 


58 


Balancing letter 


266 


Bear baiting 


327 


Blenheim 


319 


Ban (title) 


58 


Beating the bounds 


304 


Blind Belisarius 


198 


Ban (interdiction) 


107 


Bed of justice 


303 


Blind Harry 


208 


Bandes noires 


136 


Bede, Venerable 


198 


Blood, court of ... 


108 


Banditti 


148 


Bedford level 


132 


Blood's conspiracy 


16 


Bangor controversy 


15 


Bedouins 


148 


Blue and green ribbons 


37 


Bank charter 


108 


Beef-eaters 


163 


Bluebeard 


189 


Bank of England 


352 


Bees, fable of the 


266 


Blue books, parliamentary 


352 


Banneret 


290 


Beguines 


SO 


Blue stocking 


277 


Bannockburn, battle of ... 


2 


Behemoth 


174 


Bluff King Hal 


199 


Banshee 


173 


Belisarius, blind 


198 


Board of green cloth ... 


71 


Barbarians 


148 


Bell, bear the 


229 


Bodleian library 


277 


Barbarossa 


198 


Bell, book, and candle, 




Bceotia 


133 


Barberini palace 


318 


swearing by 


304 


Boeuf Gras 


327 


Bards 


148 


Bell, passing 


311 


Bohemia 


50 


Barebones, Praise-God ... 


198 


Bell the cat 


229 


Bolognese school of 




Bark, Jesuit's ... 


282 


Belles lettres 


277 


painting 


283 


Barmecide's feast 


188 


Bell's system 


98 


Bomba 


199 


Baron Munchausen ... 


192 


Below the gangway 


355 


Boanerges 


200 


Barons, assembly of 


68 


Belt, Great and Little ... 


136 


Bonapartists 


29 


Barons, revolt of 


15 


Belted Will 


199 


Bonnet, Phrygian 


296 



INDEX. 



363 



Bonnet, war of ... 


. 16 


Budget, parliamentary . 


. 352 


Captain-general ... 


. 164 


Book of homilies 


. 270 


Buen retiro 


. 319 


Captains of liberty 


. 212 


Boot (torture) ... 


. 340 


Building of Eome 


. 328 


Captivity, prince of the 


. 201 


Borough English 


. 304 


Bull, golden 


. 116 


Caravanserai 


. 305 


Borghese family ... 


. 41 


Bulwer-Clayton treaty .. 


. 109 


Carbonari 


. 30 


Borgia, infamous... 


. 200 


Bunker's Hill, battle of.. 


3 


Cardinal points ... 


. 278 


Borsholder 


. 5S 


Burgh -mails 


. 340 


Carlists 


. 30 


Bosjesmen 


. 148 


Burghmote 


. 109 


Carlovingian line 


. 42 


Boston tea-party 


16 


Burleigh nod 


. 230 


Carmelites 


. 81 


Botany Bay 


. 340 


Burning of Moscow 


8 


Carnatic ... 


. 133 


Bottle-holder, judicious. 


. 211 


Burns, Ayrshire plough 




Carnival 


. 328 


Boulogne flotilla 


3 


man 


. 198 


Carracci family ... 


. 42 


Bounds, heating the 


. 304 


Buskin 


. 277 


Cartesians 


. 98 


Bounty, mutiny of 


. 17 


Butcher of Culloden 


. 204 


Carthaginian lion 


. 201 


Bourbon family 


. 41 


Byzantine empire 


. 51 


Carthago, delenda est .. 


. 251 


Bow-string (punishment,) 340 


Byzantine historians 


. 201 


Carthusians ... 


. 81 


Bowmen, English 


. 167 






Cartoons, Raphael's 


. 286 


Boy bishop 


. 305 


Cabal 


29 


Caspar Hauser ... 


. 190 


Boy Jones 


. 211 


Cabbala ... 


174 


Castile, kingdom of 


. 51 


Boyne, battle of the 


3 


Cabinet council ... 


68 


Castes 


. 149 


Brah£ Tycho, system of.. 


. 98 


Cabiri ... 


174 


Cat, bell the 


. 229 


Brandywine, battle of .. 


3 


Cade, Jack, insurrection of 21 


Catacombs 


. 319 


Brave, le, des braves 


. 200 


Cadi ... 


58 


Catalonia 


. 133 


Bravos 


148 


Csesar 


201 


Catching a Tartar 


. 231 


Bray, Vicar of ... 


200 


Csesar, aut, aut nullus .. 


251 


Catechumens 


. 82 


Brazen bull, Phalaris's .. 


346 


Cassar's wife above suspi- 




Catholic epistles ... 


. 267 


Bread, assize of 


351 


cion 


230 


Catiline conspiracy 


. 18 


Breeches bible ... 


267 


Caffre war 


3 


Cato the censor ... 


. 201 


Brehon laws 


108 


Caffres 


148 


Cato-street conspiracy ., 


. 18 


Bretagne, province of .. 


50 


Cagots 


148 


Caucasian race ... 


1:49 


Brevet ... 


108 


Ca-ira. 


251 


Caucasus 


133 


Bx-eviary ... 


267 


Calais written on my 




Caucus ... .... ,, 


.. 231 


Bridewell ... 


340 


heart 


251 


Cavaliers ... 


30 


Bristol riots 


17 


Calcutta', black hole of ... 


339 


Cayenne 


340 


Britain 


229 


Caledonia 


230 


Celtas 


149 


Britannia 


229 


Calembourg 


230 


Cenci family 


42 


British America 


133 


Calendar ... 


328 


Cent Suisses 


164 


British constitution 


108 


Calendar, Julian 


333 


Central Africa 


131 


British dominions, sun 




Calends 


328 


Centumviri 


149 


never sets on 


229 


Calends, Greek 


237 


Centurion... 


164 


British lion 


291 


Caligula's horse 


230 


Ceramicus 


306 


British Solomon 


200 


Caliph 


58 


Chseronea, battle of 


3 


Brittany, province of ... 


50 


Calippic period 


328 


Chairing ... .,. ... 


306 


Broad arrow ... .... 


291 


Call of the House 


353 


Chamber of d eputies . . . 


70 


Broad bottom ministry ... 


50 


Calmar, union of... 68 


, 328 


Chambre ardente. 


340 


Broad piece 


352 


Calumet of peace 


305 


Champ de Mai 


334 


Broglie family 


41 


Calvinists 


81 


Championship of Englanc 


306 


Bronte' (Lord Nelson) ... 


200 


Camarilla 


68 


Chancellor, dancing 


204 


Brooke, Rajah 


200 


Cambria ... 


231 


Chancery, Inns of 


356 


Brother Jonathan 


229 


Cameronians 


81 


Charge d'affaires 


58 


Brother of the moon 


225 


Camisards 


29 


Charlemasrne 


202 


Brown Bess 


229 


Candide 


267 


Charlie, Prince 


202 


Brown, Capability 


201 


Canon law 


109 


Chart, Mercator's 


284 


Brownie 


174 


Canonical hours 


109 


Chartist riots 


18 


Brownists 


81 


Canonization 


305 


Chasseurs d'Afrique 


164 


Brumaire 


327 


Canterbury tale 


231 


Chat-Moss 


133 


Brunswick, house of ... 


41 


Cap of liberty 


291 


Cherbury, Herbert of ... 


209 


Brunswickers, black 


163 


Cap of maintenance 


291 


Cherokees 


149 


Brunnens 


133 


Caps and hats 


32 


Chersonesus 


133 


Bubble, South Sea 


359 


Capability Brown 


201 1 


Chesapeake & Shannon... 


4 


Buccaneers 


148 


Capet, house of 


42 


Chevalier Ramsay 


219 


Bucentaur 


305 


2apet, Louis 


201 


Chevalier sans peur et 




Bucephalus 


230 


Capitol, the 


319 


sans reproche ... 


203 


Buddhists 


81 


Capitoline games 


328 


Children of the East ... 


149 



364 



INDEX. 



Chiltern hundreds 

Chivalry 

Choctaws 

Christendom 

Christian era 

Chronicle, Parian 

Church, Apostolic 

Church, Armenian 

Church, Latin 

Church militant 

Church of England 

Church of France 

Church-scot 

Church, western 

Cicisbeo 

Cid 

Cimbri 

Cincinnati, order of 

Cinque Ports 

Circassians 

Cisalpine republic 

Cistercians 

Citizen-king 

Citizen Stanhope 

City of the dead 

City of magnificent dis- 
tances 

City of marble 

City of the seven hills ... 

Civil list 

Civic crown 

Civil wars 

Civil year... 

Civita Vecchia 

Clarendon, constitutions 
of 

Classics 

Classsics, Delphin 

Clergy, benefit of 

Clergy, regular ... 

Cloaca Maxima 

Cloots, Anacharsis 

Cloth of gold, field of ... 

Coalition ministry 

Cobham, good Lord 

Cocker, according to 

Cock-lane ghost 

Cockpen, laird of 

Cockpit, Westminster ... 

Code Frederick 

Code Napoleon 

Code, Theodosian 

Code Valentinian 

Coeur-de-lion 

Coffee-house politician ... 

Cold shade of the aristo- 
cracy ... 

Coldstream guards 

Collar of SS 

Cologne, three kings of... 

Colombia 

Colonies 

Colonna family 

Colophon, putting to it ... 



353 


Colossus of Rhodes 


319 


Cottonian library 


278- 


291 


Colporteurs 


150 


Council of four hundred 


116, 


149 


Columbus and the egg ... 


232 


Council of thirty 


56 


231 


Come and take them ... 


251 


Council of Tren t 


76 


328 


Comedy, ancient prince of 


197 


Count de Saint Germain 


222! 


286 


Comity of nations 


110 


Count out... 


353 


80 


Commissioner Lin 


212 


Count Rumford 


222 


80 


Committee of the whole 




Counterblast to tobacco 


268 


97 


house 


353 


Country party 


31 


231 


Common prayer 


268 


County palatine 


52 


79 


Commonwealth 


51 


Coup d'dtat 


52 


85 


Communist 


30 


Course of exchange 


355 


341 


Compact, family 


70 


Court, Inns of 


356 


97 


Compromise of Missouri 


72 


Court of St. James's ... 


245 


306 


Comte de Lille 


212 


Court party 


3L 


189 


Conclave 


69 


Court of blood 


108 


150 


Concordat 


110 


Courts, superior 


35& 


291 


Conde', the great 


203 


Cousin, our trusty and 




51 


Condottieri 


164 


well-beloved 


232 


150 


Confederation of the 




Cove of Cork 


134 


51 


Rhine 


74 


Coventry acts 


112 


82 


Confession of faith 


111 


Coverdale's Bible 


268 


202 


Confucians 


82 


Cranmer's Bible 


268 


225 


Confusion of tongues ... 


329 


Crapaud, Jean 


237 


134 


Confusion, year of 


338 


Crecy, battle of 


4 




Conge d'elire 


306 


Cree Indians 


150 


239 


Congress, American 


69 


Creek Indians 


151 


139 


Conscience, liberty of ... 


239 


Creoles 


151 


246 


Conscript fathers 


150 


Crescent 


292 


110 


Conscription 


111 


Crichton, admirable 


203 


292 


Conservatives 


30 


Crimea 


134 


4 


Conspiracy, Babington's 


15 


Crimean war 


5 


329 


Conspiracy, Blood's 


16 


Croats 


151 


133 


Conspiracy, Catiline 


18 


Crockards 


353 




Conspiracy, Cato-street 


18 


Crcesus, as rich as 


233 


110 


Conspiracy, Despard's ... 


19 


Cromwell, shall he have a 




278 


Conspiracy, Georges' ... 


19 


statue? 


26 1 


278 


Constitutions of Clarendon 


110 


Crooked-back tyrant ... 


204 


304 


Consul 


58 


Crosier 


292 


150 


Consulate, French 


51 


Cross and ball 


292 


306 


Contarini family 


43 


Crown, civic 


292 


202 


Continental system 


52 


Crown of hot iron 


341 


70 


Controversy, Bangor ... 


15 


Crown of the Sun 


353 


51 


Controversy, Gorham ... 


237 


Crown, qbsidional 


296 


202 


Conventicle act 


111 


Crown, mural 


226 


231 


Convention, national ... 


69 


Crown, naval 


296 


174 


Conversation Sharpe ... 


224 


Crown, vallar 


301 


203 


Copernican system 


98 


Cruel Jeffreys 


219 


133 


Coptic 


150 


Crusades 


5 


110 


Cordeliers (political) ... 


30 


Cuirassiers 


164 


110 


Cordeliers (religious order; 


82 


Culloden, butcher of ... 


204 


129 


Cork, Cove of 


134 


Curfew 


112 


130 


Corn -law riots 


19 


Curiatii and Horatii j ... 


44 


203 


Corn-laws 


111 


Currency, paper 


358 


231 


Corn-law rhymer 


203 


Curry, pinch of 


244 




Cornwall, duke of 


203 


Curule chair 


307 


251 


Coronation oath 


111 


Curule magistracy 


307 


164 


Corporal, the little 


212 


Curse of Scotland 


246 


300 


Corporation and test acts 


112 


Cycle 


329 


203 


Corunna, battle of 


4 


Cynics 


99 


134 


Cortes 


09 


Cyrenaic philosophy ... 


99> 


134 


Cossacks 


150 


Czar 


59 


42 


Cote droit, cote* gauche... 


232 






232 


Cotton lords 


203 


Dacian 


233 







INDEX. 






3bD 


Daim, Oliver le 


204 


Diocesan 


59 


Ecclesiastical titles bill 


113 


Dames des Halles 


151 


Diocletian era 


329 


Eclectics 


99 


Damocles, sword of 


233 


Dionysius, ear of 


319 


Ecole polytechnique 


312 


Damon and Pythias, 




Directory, French 


52 


Economists 


99 


friendship of 


233 


Discovery of the longitude 


283 


Eddas 


174 


Dance, Morris 


335 


Dissenters 


82 


Eden of the Pyrenees ... 


135 


Dance of death 


278 


Dissolution of Parliament 


354 


Edict 


113 


Dance, Pyrrhic 


336 


D. M. (Dis Manibus) 


252 


Editions, Elzevir 


279 


Dancing chancellor 


204 


Divan, Turkish 


70 


Editions variorum 


289 


Dandini family 


43 


Divina commedia 


269 


Egalite' (Duke of Orleans) 


205 


Dandolo family 


43 


Divine right of kings ... 


234 


Eglintoun tournament ... 


329 


Danegelt 


341 


Doctor Faust 


176 


Ego et rex meus 


252 


Danes 


151 


Doctrinaires 


31 


Eisteddfod 


70 


Dannebrog 


292 


Dodo 


175 


Either this, or upon this 


253 


Dardanelles 


134 


Doe, John, and Eoe, 




El Dorado 


175 


Daric 


353 


Eichard 


189 


Eleatic philosophy 


99 


Dauphin 


59 


Dog (Antisthenes) 


205 


Elector 


59 


Day, red letter 


336 


Doge 


59 


Eleusinian mysteries ... 


329 


Days of September 


329 


Dogmatists 


99 


Elgin marbles 


320 


Dead, city of the 


134 


Doit 


354 


Elia 


205 


Dead languages 


278 


Dolgorouki family 


43 


Elixir of life 


175 


Dead Sea 


135 


Dome book 


269 


Elizabethan 


279 


Dead weight 


354 


Dominicans 


82 


Elzevir editions 


279 


Debate, Bupert of 


222 


Domesday book 


269 


Embargo 


113 


Decade 


268 


Don 


59 


Emigres ... ■ 


31 


Decameron 


268 


Donatists 


83 


Emir 


60 


Deccan territory 


135 


Don gratuit 


341 


Empecinado 


206 


Decemviri 


52 


Doria family 


43 


Encratites 


83 


Declaration of American 




Doric dialect 


278 


Encumbered estates 


113 


independence 


70 


Dort, synod of 


70 


Encyclopedists 


99 


Declaration of the French 




Dotations of Napoleon ... 


240 


Enfants perdus 


164 


clergy 


116 


Douay bible 


269 


England and St. George 


253 


Declaration of war 


112 


Douglas family 


43' 


England expects every 




De Courcy privilege 


234 


Doves (Peace Society) ... 


235 


man to do his duty ... 


253 


Decretals 


113 


Downs, the 


135 


English bowmen 


163 


Decuriones 


151 


Doxology 


252 


Epic poetry, father of ... 


206 


Defence of Kars 


6 


Draconian laws 


113 


Epicurean philosophy ... 


100 


Defender of the faith ... 


234 


Dragomans 


152 


Ephori 


60 


Dei gratia 


251 


Dragon 


174 


Episcopalians 


84 


Delenda est Carthago ... 


251 


Dragonnades 


164 


Epistles, catholic 


267 


Delicate investigation ... 


234 


Drawing room (ceremony 




Epithalamium 


307 


Delight of mankind 


205 


of) 


310 


Epoch 


329 


Delphin classics 


278 


Druids 


83 


Equestrian order 


293 


Democracy 


52 


Druses 


83 


Era 


329 


Democrats, American ... 


31 


Dudley family 


43 


Era, Christian " 


328 


Denarius 


354 


Duke Humphrey, dining 




Era, Diocletian 


329 


D'Enghien, duke, murder 




with 


235 


Era, Jewish 


332 


of 


341 


Duke, the iron 


210 


Erani 


307 


Denier 


354 


Dulce domum 


252 


Erastians 


84 


Deputies, chamber of ... 


70 


Dulwich college 


308 


Erin 


235 


Despard's conspiracy ... 


19 


Dumb Atys 


205 


Escurial 


320 


Detenu 


113 


Dunmow flitch of bacon 


307 


Esquimaux 


152 


Dey 


59 


Duns Scotus 


205 


Essayists, the 


206 


Diable, Eobert le 


205 


Durham letter 


269 


Estafette 


307 


Dialect, Ionic 


282 


Dutch Bentinck 


199 


Este family 


43 


Diamond necklace affair 


234 


Dutch, high and low ... 


283 


Est-il possible 


206 


Dictator 


59 


Dutch school of painting 


278 


Ettu Brute! 


253 


Dies irse 


252 


Duumviri 


53 


Eton Montem 


308 


Diet, German 


70 






Etruscan ware 


279 


Diet of Worms 


78 


Eagle (insignia) 


292 


Ettrick shepherd 


206 


Dieu-donne 


205 


Ear of Dionysius 


319 


Eureka 


253 


Dieu et mon droit 


252 


Early reformers 


83 


Europe, great powers of 


237 


Dining with Duke Hum- 




East India Company ... 


354 


Evangelical 


84 


phrey 


235 


Eastern empire 


53 


Every man has his price 


235 



366 




INDEX. 








Evil eye 


175 


Figures, Arabic 


276 


Fulmination 


116 


Evil, touching for the ... 


184 


Filibusters 


31 


Fuit Ilium 


254 


Excelsior 


253 


Finality John 


207 


Furca et fossa 


342 


Exceptions, bill of 


114 


Fins ., 


152 






Exchange, bills of 


354 


Fire, Greek 


280 


Gabelle 


342. 


Exchange, course of ... 


355 


Firman 


115 


Gall & Spurzheim's sys- 




Exchequer bills 


355 


First fruits 


115 


tem 


100 


Excise 


341 


First gentleman in 




Gallican church 


85 


Exclusion, bill of 


114 


Europe 


207 


Galley slaves 


153 


Ex mero inotu ... 


354 


First of June, the glo- 




Gallic neighbour 


235 


Exorcism 


176 


rious 


331 


Galvanism 


279> 


Expedition, Argonautic 


2 


Fish and the ring 


189 


Gal way, tribes of 


15a 


Expedition, Franklin's ... 


279 


Five articles of Perth ... 


115 


Game laws 


116 


Expedition, Niger 


285 


Five follies of science ... 


287 


Games, Capitoline 


328 


Expedition, Walcheren ... 


14 


Five-mile act 


115 


Gaines, Isthmian 


332 


Extravagantes 


114 


Flag, palmetto 


296 


Games , Nemean 


335 


Extreme unction 


316 


Flagellants 


85 


Games, Olympic... 


335 






Flamens 


152 


Games, Pythian 


336 


Pabian policy- 


235 


Fleece, order of the 


293 


Games, secular ... 


337 


Faineants, rois ... 


-221 


Fleet marriages 


308 


Gangway, below the ... 


355- 


Fahiop oak 


320 


Fleet prison 


342 


Gaol delivery 


355 


Faith, confession of 


111 


Flemish school of paint- 




Garde Mobile 


165 


Faith, defender of the 


234 


ing 


279 


Garotte 


342 


Faithful, the 


152 


Fletcher of Saltoun 


207 


Garter, order of the 


294 


Fakirs 


84 


Fleur-de-lis 


293 


Gasconade .. 


235 


Falconry hawking 


330 


Flitch of bacon, Dun- 




Gaude, Maria Virgo 


254 


Falernian wine 


235 


mow 


307 


Gauntlet, throwing down 


236 


Familiars of the Inquisi- 




Flodden field, battle of... 


5 


Gavelkind 


308 


tion 


152 


Florentine school of 




Gazette .,. .. ■ ... 


279 


Family compact 


70 


painting 


279 


Geagh 


336 


Fanaristes 


152 


Florin 


355 


Gemara and Mischna ... 


271 


Fandango 


330 


Flotilla, Boulogne 


3 


Gendarmerie 


165 


Fantees 


152 


Flotsam, jetsam, and 




General commander-in- 




Far west 


135 


ligan 


115 


chief ... 


165 


Farmer George ... 


207 


Flying Dutchman 


177 


Generation 


336 


Farnese family 


43 


Follow nie, I will be your 




Geneva bible 


269 


Farthing, Queen Anne's 


359 


leader 


254 


Genu 


177 


Fasti 


330 


Fools, feast of 


330 


Gentlemen-at-arms 


165 


Fata Morgana 


176 


Fools, prince of 


207 


Gentoo 


153 


Father of history 


209 


Forty centuries are gaz- 




Geoffrey of Monmouth ... 


208. 


Father of letters 


211 


ing at us from these 




George (insignia) 


294 


Father of epic poetry ... 


206 


pyramids 


254 


Georges' conspiracy 


19 


Father Petre 


218 


Fountain of tears 


320 


Georgics 


280 


Father Thoughtful 


206 


Four hundred, council of 


116 


German Spas 


136 


Fathers, apologies of the 


266 


Fourierism 


100 


Germanic confederation 


71 


Fatimite dynasty 


43 


Fourth estate 


235 


Geysers 


136 


Faust, doctor 


176 


Forwards, Marshal 


207 


Giant's causeway 


136 


Fear nothing, you carry 




Fra Diavolo 


207 


Giaour 


153 


Csesar 


254 


Franche Comte 


135 


Giotto's O 


280 


Feast of fools 


330 


Franciscans 


85 


Gipsies 


154 


Feast of lanterns 


333 


Franks ... 


152 


Girondists 


32 


Feasts, rose 


337 


Franklin's expedition ... 


279 


Giving quarter 


244 


Feet washing, custom of 


308 


Free-traders 


31 


Glaciers 


136 


Ferentarii 


165 


Freeman, Mrs 


214 


Gladiators 


154 


Ferrari family 


44 


Freethinkers 


85 


Glamour 


177 


Fescennine verse 


279 


French clergy, declara- 




Glastonbury thorn 


177 


Festinalente 


254 


tion of 


116 


Glencoe, massacre of ... 


342 


Fetich ... - 


176 


French, king of the 


208 


Glorious first of June ... 


331 


Feudal system 


114 


French republic 


53 


Glorious John 


208 


Feuillants 


84 


Fritz 


208 


Glorious revolution 


25 


Field of falsehood 


135 


Fronde, war of 


5 


Gnomes ... 


177 


Field of the cloth of gold 


70 


Frontier, military 


140 


Gnostics 


85 


Fifteenths (tax) 


342 


Fruitful palm, order of the 


293 


Gobelin tapestry 


320 


Fifth monarchy men ... 


84 


Fuggers and Welsers ... 


153 


God save the Queen 


254 







INDEX. 






367 


Goddess of reason 


17S 


Habeas corpus 


117 


Homerides 


154 


Godfrey de Bouillon 


208 


Had I but served my God, 




Homilies, book of 


270 


Godfrey, Sir Edniondbury 




&c 


254 


Hong merchants 


154 


murder of 


343 


Hague 


137 


Honour, legion of 


295 


God's gift 


308 


Hague, treaty of 


71 


Honours of Avar 


317 


Godwin's oath 


236 


Hahnemann, disciples of 


281 


Hoplitse 


165 


Gog and Magog 


190 


Hamilton Single-Speech 


208 


Horatii and Curiatii 


44 


Golconda 


136 


Hampden, patriot 


208 


Hordes 


154 


Golden age 


331 


Hanaper office 


309 


Horse of Seius 


246 


Golden ass 


269 


Hanoverian succession ... 


44 


Horse power 


282 


Golden bull 


116 


Hanse towns 


137 


Hospitallers 


86 


Golden legend 


270 


Hanseatic league 


71 


Hospodar 


61 


Golden number 


331 


Hapsburg, house of 


44 


Hot, iron, crown of 


341 


Golden palace 


.321 


Harleian MSS 


281 


Hotspur 


209 


Golden rose 


224 


Harp of Ireland 


294 


Houris 


178 


Golden stick 


60 


Harry, blind 


208 


House, call of the 


353 


Gondoliers 


154 


Hartz mountains 


137 


Houses, religious 


313 


Good king Rene 


220 


Hasta pura 


309 


Howard family 


45 


Good Lord Cobham 


202 


Hastings, battle of 


6 


H. R. R 


255 


Good old times 


236 


Hats and caps 


32 


Hudibrastic verse 


282 


Good Regent Murray ... 


214 


Hatti-Scherif 


117 


Hudson's Bay Company 


356 


Goodwin sands 


136 


Hauser, Caspar 


190 


Hue and cry 


117 


Gordian knot ... :.. 


236 


Hawking, falconry 


330 


Huguenots 


86 


Gordon riots 


19 


Head of the world 


249 


Huissier 


61 


Gorham controversy ... 


237 


Health, pledging 


212 


Humanitarians 


86 


Gotham, wise men of ... 


249 


Hearth-tax 


343 


Hundred days, the 


53 


Gowrie's plot 


20 


Heaven-born minister ... 


209 


Hungarian insurrection... 


21 


Gracchi family 


44 


Hebrides 


137 


Huns 


154 


Grace, act of 


116 


Hegelianism 


100 


Hunt, orator 


2Q9 


Grammont family 


44 


Helvetic republic 


53 


Huntingdon's Connection 




Grampian Hills 


136 


Heptarchy 


53 


Lady ... 


88 


Grandee 


60 


Herald's college 


309 


Husbandry, VirgiUan ... 


289 


Grand monarque 


214 


Herbert of Cherbury ... 


209 


Hussars 


165 


Grand pensionary 


60 


Herculaneum 


137 


Hussites 


87 


Grand Seignior \ 


60 


Hercules, pillars of 


137 






Great Belt and Little 




Heriot 


117 


Iceland ... 


138 


Belt 


136 


Hero of the Nile 


215 


Ich Dien 


255 


Great Harry 


321 


Heroes 


237 


Icini 


155 


Great lexicographer, the 


211 


Heroic verse 


281 


Icon Basilicon 


27.0 


Great plain of Europe ... 


136 


Hesse 


137 


Iconoclasts 


87 


Great powers of Europe 


237 


Hetman 


60 


Ideology 


160 


Great rebellion 


25 


Hibernia 


237 


Ides 


331 


Great seal 


355 


Hickory, old 


215 


If, Chateau d' 


271 


Great unknown 


208 


Hidage 


117 


K I were not Alexander, 




Greek calends 


237 


Hierarchy 


53 


I would be Diogenes ... 


255 


Greek Church 


86 


Hieroglyphics 


281 


I glory in the name of 




Greek fire 


280 


High church 


86 


Briton 


255 


Green cloth, hoard of ... 


71 


Highlands 


137 


I have lost a day 


255 


Greenland 


137 


Hilary term 


356 


I. H. S 


255 


Grenadiers 


165 


Himalaya 


138 


Iliad 


282 


Gretna-Green marriages 


309 


Hispania 


138 


Ilk 


237 


Griffin 


178 


Historical year and legal 




Illuminati 


32 


Grisel, Patient 


217 


year 


335 


Iman 


155 


Grotto del Cane 


321 


History, father of 


209 


Immortals 


166 


Grub street 


137 


History, modern 


335 


Impressment 


343 


Grus 


331 


Hoobes's leviathan 


270 


Imprimatur 


255 


Gueiphic order 


294 


Hohenzollern, house of... 


44 


Incas 


61 


Guelphs and Ghibelins ... 


32 


Holland's mob 


20 


Indemnity bill 


117 


Guerilla warfare 


6 


Holocaust 


331 


Independents 


87 


Guillotine 


281 


Holy alliance 


71 


Index expurgatorius ... 


117 


Guinea 


355 


Holy maid of Kent 


209 


Indiction 


332 


Guise, house of 


44 


Holy office 


309 


Infamous Borgia 


200 


Gunpowder plot 


20 


Holyrood House 


321 


Infanta 


61 


Guy, Earl of Warwick ... 


190 


Holy wars 


5 


Infantry ... 


166 



368 



INDEX. 



Inns of Chancery 


356 


John o' Groat's house ... 


138 


Kurds 


155 


Inns of court 


356 


Jewels, these are my ... 


264 






Inquisition 


72 


Jones, boy 


211 


Labarum 


295 


Inquisition, familiars of 




Jousts 


333 


Labyrinth 


322 


the 


152 


Jubilee 


333 


Lac of rupees 


356 


Institutes 


118 


Judicious bottle-holder 


211 


Laconism 


239 


Institutes of Menu 


271 


Juggernaut 


178 


Lady Huntingdon's con- 




Instrument of government 


118 


Jugurthine war ... 


6 


nection 


88 


Insurrection, Hungarian 


21 


Julian calendar 


333 


Laird of Cockpen 


203 


Insurrection, Jack Cade's 


21 


Julian period 


333 


Lake poets 


211 


Insurrection, Massaniel- 




Julian the apostate 


211 


Lama 


61 


lo's 


22 


July, three days of 


338 


Lamarck's theory 


101 


Insurrection, Perkin War- 




Junius's letters 


270 


Lambeth articles 


118 


beck 


24 


Junta ... 


72 


Lamia 


179 


Insurrection, Wat Tyler's 


28 


Jurisconsult 


155 


Lampadary „ 


155 


Interim 


118 


Juste milieu 


238 


Lancaster, house of 


45 


International law 


118 


Justice, bed of 


303 


Lancasterian system ... 


101 


Interregnum 


332 


Justices in eyre 


61 


Lancelot of the lake 


191 


Ionian republic 


138 


Justice, main de 


295 


Landgrave 


61 


Ionic dialect 


282 


Justinian code 


118 


Landwehr 


167 


Ionic sect : 


101 


Jutes 


155 


Land's end 


138 


Ireland, ancient kingdom 








Languages dead 


278 


of 


53 


Kaland ... 


310 


Language, Phoenician ... 


286 


Irish harp 


294 


Kami 


178 


Language, Scandinavian 


287 


Irish night 


332 


Kantism 


101 


Languages, Semitic 


288 


Irish z-ebellion 


21 


Ears, defence of 


6 


Language, Slavonic 


288 


Irishmen, united 


39 


Kentish fire 


238 


Lanterne, a la 


250 


Iron crown of Lombardy 


295 


Kepler's laws 


101 


Lanterns, feast of 


333 


Iron duke 


210 


Keri-Cetib 


283 


Laocobn 


179 


Iron mask, the man with 


190 


Khan 


61 


Laplace's theory 


101 


Isaak, old 


210 


Khotbah 


310 


La propriete c'est le vol 


256 


Island of Gyan 


343 


Killing no murder 


270 


Lares 


179 


Isle of Man 


139 


King Ad, old as 


238 


Largesse 


343 


Islamism 


87 


King can do no wrong ... 


238 


Lascar 


155 


Isthmian games 


332 


King de jure, and king de 




Last argument of kings 


239 


Italy, liberator of 


210 


facto 


238 


Last of the Romans 


221 


I've passed the Rubicon 


255 


King Hal, Bluff 


199 


Latitudinarians 


8S 






King maker 


211 


Latin church 


97 


Jabal 


210 


King Monmouth 


214 


Latins 


155 


Jack Cade's insurrection 


21 


King of the French 


208 


Latter-day Saints 


88 


Jacobins 


33 


King of the Romans ... 


221 


Laughing philosopher ... 


211 


Jacobites 


33 


King of Yvetot 


227 


Laura (Hermitage) 


322 


Jacques, Bonhomme 


155 


King, the sailor 


222 


Laura and Petrarch 


193 


Jaghire 


118 


Kings, divine right of ... 


234 


Laureate poet 


312 


Janisaries 


166 


Kings, shepherd 


224 


Laurel and myrtle 


395 


Jansenists 


87 


Kinsale privilege. 


234 


Law, unwritten ... 


130 


Janus, temple of 


309 


Kirk's lambs 


167 


Lay brothers 


88 


Jealousy, waters of 


1S6 


Kit-cat club 


310 


Lazzaretto 


310 


Jean Crapaud 


237 


Knight of the shire 


356 


Lazzaroni 


156 


Jeffreys, cruel 


210 


Knight winning his spurs 


239 


Legend, golden ... 


270 


Jennings, Sarah 


210 


Knighthood, military ... 


295 


Legion 


167 


Jesuits 


87 


Knighthood, regular 


297 


Legion of honour 


295 


Jesuit's bark 


282 


Knight's service 


310 


Legislative assembly ... 


72 


Jew bail 


310 


Knights apocalyptic 


290 


Legitimists 


33 


Jew, wandering 


185 


Knights of Windsor 


302 


Lemnian 


344 


Jews, massacre of 


343 


Knout 


344 


L'empire c'est la pais ... 


256 


Jewish era 


332 


Know thyself 


255 


Lemures 


179 


Joan, pope 


191 


Knowledge is power 


256 


Leonine verse 


283 


Jonathan, brother 


229 


Kobold 


178 


Le roi est mort — vive le 




Joe Miller 


211 


Koh-i-noor 


321 


roi 


255 


John Bull 


238 


Kremlin 


321 


L'e'tat c'est moi 


256 


John Company 


238 


Kshatri 


155 


Letters, father of 


211 


John Doe and Richard 




Kshatriyas 


155 


Letters of marque 


119 


Roe 


189 


Kent, weald of 


145 


Lettres de cachet 


239 







INDEX. 






6b\) 


Levant 


138 


Luddites 


34 


Marriage by proxy _ ... 


240 


Levee 


310 


Lunenburg 


139 


Marriage, morganatic ... 


311 


Levee en masse 


239 


Lunisolar 


334 


Marriages, Fleet 


308 


Levellers 


33 


Lupercal ... 


334 


Marriages, Gretna-Green 


309 


Leviathan 


179 


Lustrum 


334 


Marseillaise 


257 


Leviathan. Hobbes's 


270 


Lutherans 


88 


Marshal Forwards 


207 


Lewis, monk 


214 


Lyceum 


322 


Marsian war 


11 


Lexicographer, the great 


211 


Lydian measure 


284 


Marston Moor 


7 


Leyden jar 


283 


Lynch law 


344 


Martel, Charles 


212 


Liber regis 


271 


Lyrics 


284 


Martello towers 


322 


Liberalia 


333 






Martial law 


119 


Liberal arts, seven 


288 


Macaronic verse 


284 


Masham, Mrs 


213 


Liberals 


33 


Macaulay's New Zea- 




Massacre, Peterloo 


24 


Liberator of Italy 


210 


lander 


241 


Massacre of Glencoe ... 


342 


Liberia 


239 


Maccabees 


271 


Massacre of Jews 


343 


Liberte', e'galite', fraternity 


256 


Machiavelian policy 


102 


Massacre of St. Bartholo- 


347 


Libertine 


310 


Mad Parliament 


72 


mew 


Liberty, cap of 


291 


Maecenas of literature ... 


212 


Massacre, Sicilian Vespers 


348 


Liberty, captains of 


212 


Magi 


156 


Massacre, Zealot 


350 


Liberty of conscience ... 


239 


Magistracy, curule 


307 


Masaniello's insurrection 


22 


Liberty, tree of 


301 


Magna charta 


119 


Master of sentences 


224 


Library, Alexandrian ... 


27-5 


Magnificent distances, 




Masters, the old 


216 


Library, Bodleian 


277 


city of 


239 


Mastodon 


179 


Library, Cottonian 


278 


Magyars 


157 


Matadores 


157 


Library, Pepysian 


286 


Mahratta war 


7 


Materialists 


89 


Lictor 


62 


Mai, champ de 


334 


Mathewe's bible ... 


271 


Lille, comte de... 


212 


Maid Marian 


334 


Matrons, jury of 


119 


Lillibullero 


256 


Maid of Saragossa 


222 


Mauritius 


140 


Lin, commissioner 


212 


Main de justice 


295 


Mausoleum 


322 


Lingua Franca ... 


283 


Maine law 


119 


Maximus the Greek 


213 


Linnsean system ... 


102 


Majesty of the people ... 


340 


Maynooth grant 


119 


Lion, British 


291 


Malebranchism 


102 


Mazeppa 


192 


Lion of Bastia 


322 


Malmaison 


322 


Mea culpa, Deus 


257 


Literati 


156 


Malplaquet, battle of ... 


7 


Meal-tub plot 


22 


Little corporal 


212 


Malthusian doctrines ... 


102 


Mecca, sacred house of... 


182 


Liveries 


295 


Mamelukes 


167 


Medes and Persians, laws 




Lloyd's list 


356 


Mamertinc prisons 


344 


of 


120 


Loco-foco 


33 


Mammoth 


179 


Medici family 


45 


Lodi, battle of 


6 


Man, Isle of 


139 


Medici, Venus de 


325 


Lokman 


191 


Man of Ross 


221 


Megarian school 


102 


Lollards 


88 


Man with the iron mask 


190 


Megatherium 


180 


Lombard 


156 


Manchester school 


34 


Mendicant friars 


89 


Lombard school of paint- 




Mandarin 


62 


Menu, institutes of 


271 


ing 


283 


Manfred i family 


45 


Mercator's chart 


284 


Lombardy, iron crown of 


295 


Manichasans 


89 


Merchant princes 


213 


Lone star society 


34 


Manipulus 


295 


Mermaids 


180 


Longitude, discovery of 


!283 


Mankind, delight of 


205 


Merovingian dynasty ... 


45 


Lord keeper 


62 


Manlian order 


240 


Merry monarch 


213 


Lord of misrule. 


334 


Manse 


310 


Mesmerism 


102 


Lords spiritual and tem- 




Mantuan bard 


212 


Methodists 


89 


poral 


156 


Maraboots 


179 


Metronomii 


311 


Loretto, our lady of 


212 


Marathon, battle of 


7 


Metropolitan 


62 


Louis Capet 


201 


Marble, city of 


139 


Middle ages 


334 


Louis d'or 


356 


Marbles, Arundel 


318 


Middleton, memory 


213 


Louvre 


322 


Marbles, Elgin 


320 


Milesian 


240 


Lover's leap 


138 


Marbles, Phigaleian 


324 


Military frontier 


140 


Low church 


88 


Marches 


139 


Military knighthood 


295 


Low countries 


139 


Marian, maid 


334 


Military roads 


140 


Low Dutch and High 




Marines 


167 


Millenium 


180 


Dutch 


283 


Maro .., 


212 


Mina 


357 


Lower empire 


139 


Maronites 


89 


Minage 


334 


Lowlands 


139 


Maroons 


157 


Minister, heaven-born ... 


209 


Luceres 


156 


Marque, letters of 


119 


Minnesingers 


157 


Lucknow, relief of 


7 


Mar's rebellion 


21 


Minstrels... 


157 



370 



INDEX. 



Mint 

Minuet de la cour 
Miracles and mysteries... 
Mischna and Gemara ... 

Miserere 

Misrule, lord of 

Missouri, compromise of 

Mithras 

Mithridatic war 

Mob, Holland's 

Mob, Porteous 

Monarque, Grand 

Modern Athens 

Modern histo:y ... 

Moderedos 

Mogul, Grand 

Mohammedans 

Mohocks 

Monachism 

Monboddo's theory 

Monk Lewis 

Monks of St. Bernard's... 
Monmouth, King 
Monmouth's rebellion ... 

Mont de pie'te 

Montem, Eton 

Montenegro 

Montjoie St. Denys 
Montmorency family ... 

Moorish kings 

Moors 

Morana 

Moravians 

Moresque 

Morganatic marriage ... 

Morgue 

Morley, Mrs 

Mormonites 

Morris dance 

Mortmain act 

Mortality, bills of 

Mortuary 

Mosaic laws 

Mosaic work 

Moscow, burning of 

Moss troopers 

Motion maker 

Mountain, old man of the 

Mountain party 

Mrs. Freeman ... 

Mrs. Masham 

Mrs. Morley 

Mrs. Partington and her 

mop 

Muck, running a 

Mufti 

Muggletonians 

Multoco 

Munchausen, Baron 

Mundus Patens 

Municipal guard 

Mural crown 

Murder of Sir Edrnond- 

bury Godfrey 



140 


Murray, good Regent ... 


214 


Non Angli, sed angeli, &c. 


334 


Muscovites 


157 


Novi homines 


334 


Music of the spheres ... 


180 


Non-jurors 


271 


Mutiny act 


121 


Non mi ricordo 


251 


Mutiny at the Nore 


23 


Non nobis Domine 


334 


Mutiny of the Bounty ... 


17 


Nonconformists 


72 


Myrmidons 


168 


Nones 


180 


Myrtle and laurel 


295 


Nore, mutiny at , 


7 


Mysteries and miracles... 


334 


Normal schools 


20 


Mysteries, Eleusinian ... 


329 


Norman rule 


24 






Normandy, province of... 


214 


Nabob 


63 


Norroy 


22S 


Nantes, edict of 


121 


North Briton, No. 45 ... 


335 


Nantes, revocation of the 




North-west passage, at- 


34 


edict of 


121 


tempt to discover 


62 


Napier's bones 


284 


Norway law 


90 


Napoleon (coin) 


357 


Nostradamus 


34 


Napoleon, dotations of ... 


240 


Notables of France, as- 


102 


Napoleon's bees 


296 


sembly of 


103 


Nation of shopkeepers ... 


240 


Notre Dame 


214 


National assembly 


73 


Novemviri 


93 


National convention 


69 


Noyades 


214 


National debt 


357 


Number, golden 


22 


National guard 


168 


Nubians 


311 


Nations, county of 


110 




308 


Naval crown 


296 


Oases 


140 


Navarre, province of ... 


54 


Oates's plot 


257 


Nazarites 


157 


Obsidional crown 


45 


Ne exeat regno ... 


121 


Octroi 


46 


Nee pluribus impar 


257 


Odeon 


157 


Neck verse 


281 


Odyssey 


180 


Needy knife-grinder ... 


241 


Ogygian 


90 


Nemean games 


335 


Oh my country 


284 


Nepenthe 


180 


Oh, Sir Harry Vane! Sir 


311 


Nepotism 


241 


Harry Vane! 


322 


Nero 


214 


Oh that the people had 


214 


Nero fiddling while Rome 




but one neck 


90 


was burning 


241 


O liberty! Avhat crimes 


335 


Netherby knight 


215 


are committed in thy 


120 


New style 


335 


name 


120 


New world 


140 


Old as King Ad 


120 


New Zealander, Macau- 




Old Hickory 


120 


lay's 


241 


Old Isaac 


284 


Newport riots 


22 


Old man 


8 


Newtonian philosophy ... 


103 


Old man of the mountain 


168 


Ney, Marshal, le brave 




Old masters, the 


214 


des braves 


200 


Old Parr 


216 


Nice, council of ... .... 


73 


Old Rowley 


34 


Nice, treaty of 


73 


Old Sarum 


214 


Nicotiana 


285 


Old style 


213 


Niger expedition 


285 


Oleron 


214 


Night, Irish 


332 


Oligarchy 




Nile, hero of the 


215 


Olive branch 


242 


Nimrod, " a mighty hun- 




Oliver le Daim 


314 


ter before the Lord"... 


215 


Olympiad 


62 


Ninnacus, to weep like ... 


241 


Olympic games 


90 


Nisi prius 


357 


O. P. riots 


120 


No bishop, no king 


242 


Opisthographum 


192 


No royal road to geo- 




Opposition party 


180 


metry 


25S 


Optimism 


168 


No. 45, North Briton ... 


272 


Oracle 


296 


Noble (coin) 


357 


Orange boven 




Nomades 


157 


Orange, house of 


343 


Nominalists 


103 


Orangemen 






n 



On::: Zur.: «. 




1 I 


... 




E ! 


j:e:er FSndar ~ 




11' 


... 


... 


S3 




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tl'J-Jzz.z. :: 






. 




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1 


... 


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1 s 1 




-7 




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7 ... 


— . 


' 


1 


- 




Order : : - : 


- - 


.-- 


... 


S 


i 




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... 


i . 


Paimer ... __ 


... 


: r - 


r heriiiii 


~. 


.-" 


- 


•~ 




. 


... 


- 


Beta 





.-. 


. ::_z 





- 





_ 


141 


. - 


^ . 


... 


: :_t I -zr-z 


— 


- : 





__ 


-. 


1 


- 


: tlr zzzizzzl 




v-2an _ 


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i r:: . ._. _z7 Laam 


... 


ISM 


.-. _ 


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; 


Pamfls easts 


... 




... 





- S 


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1 ; ' : _:t:t.:7 ... 


... 


! 


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mt 


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345 


: 


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: ■ ■ ps 


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:.; 


: :_t Srrii"'.'— 


9 




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Orier :: tie 7 


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■ - 


,-, 


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11. 


:-..".-.. 1 - 




1 liffl - e : 


... 


3i 


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— 


324 


piixBJ , ... 


__ 


e : 


. _ 


_ 


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.-. 


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lie 


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. 


... 


... 


•- 


„. 


.- 


.-: 




, . 


. . 


: . ;- 


mm 


:. 


SiCDE 


— 


181 


T _ 


. . 


- 


■ 


... 


.,. 


i : aaBJ Soaia 


... 


. 


... 


- • 


" 


_ 


is 


^ 


«. 


1.1 




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Phcsmcdau " ~ ~ - — ~- 


„. 


.: . 


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3 


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IB 


: 


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I mm ail 


. , 


- 


. 3233 I QBOei 


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29 


. 




-' . 


I _ : le 


J . 


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>. 


isn 




:," 


i ■ i aa 


... 


13 


— 


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. lis -. 




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in 


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133 





... 


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_- : ;_. :__: ~ 


^. 


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:.. 


PafeDj -.-. --1 . , 




. - 


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":., 


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— 







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-: ; 


Our Tr^-i" _n_ ~ ;. - 




1 : ; e — 


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123 


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1 : 


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— 




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1 • . met as 


... 


■ 


£ 


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151 


-z±er — 


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I ec sees 


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C ~ - v. : - 


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1 -. sjb 




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sn 


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Piii money 


— . 


■ 


Ojer ^z: :::_!:: 


... 


-■ 


rr:_::: , . _ 


... 


- 


Ptedb :: earay — 


«_ 


243 


E fCS 




m 


! 




1 


i 

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... 


.-: 








" . . 




7 : . . 






rfc -.: Lzsi 


_ 


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Pil-ir::- 




' 


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S£ 


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Reus] £^7: t~ l:; 


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iamarid 


^ . 




ri ? _- = 


... 


»i 


I a .e~__i _ 


... 


- 


7 iz t— 7 : 


... 


123 


Paici ..- : ::::":.- 


... 


... 


r 


... 


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PJ i :; . - ' .-. : 


... 


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se -: 


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Panning i ~ ci j:1 : :1 : 


27t 


reiiazi 


i | 


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HB 


Pamiii^ Fie: >il_: 




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123 


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141 


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7 ... _ 


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372 



Poictiers, battle of 
Point d'argent, point de 



the 



Poland, partition of 

Polarium 

Polemarck 

Poles, the 

Poll-tax 

Polyglot 

Polynesia 

Polytechnique, e'cole 

Pontiff 

Pontine marshes... 
Pope Joan 
Pope, the Protestant 
Pope's brass band 
Port-royal 
Porte, sublime ... 
Porteous mob 
Portland vase ... 
Potosi silver mines 

Potitii 

Pouring oil on 
troubled waters 

Poyning's law 

Praemunire, statutes of.. 
Prastorian guards 

PrEetorium 

Pragmatic sanction 
Praise-God Barebones .. 

Prayer, common 

Preset 

Pre-Raphaelite 

Prerogative, royal 

Presbyterians 

Prester John 

Pretender, the 

Previous question 
Pricking for sheriffs 

Pride's purge 

Primate of all England .. 
Primitive Christians .. 

Prince Charlie 

Prince of the captivity .. 
Prince of painters 

Prince of peace 

Privilege of parliament.. 

Privy council 

Privy seal 

Proces verbal 

Procession of the basket 
Procrustes, bed of 

Professor, regius 

Progresses, royal 

Progressistas 

Propaganda 

Prorogation 

Prosperity, Robinson .. 

Protectionists 

Protectorate 

Protest 

Protestant pope 

Provencal poets 

Provence, province of .. 



259 

73 

312 

312 

141 

346 

272 

141 

312 

63 

141 

191 

219 

36 

2SG 

76 

24 

324 

142 

159 

243 
123 
124 
168 
313 
124 
198 
268 
313 
286 
126 

91 
218 
219 
358 
31.-, 
244 
244 

92 
202 
201 
216 
217 
358 

74 
358 
124 
320 
181 
313 
313 

36 

92 
359 
220 

3(1 

54 
359 
219 
159 

54 



INDEX. 








Provincial constitutions 


124 


Red letter day 


336 


Provisional government, 




Red men 


159 


French 


54 


Red tapists 


37 


Provisions of Oxford ... 


124 


Red, white, and blue ... 


297 


Prud'-hommes 


36 


Reformation 


336 


Prussian grants 


169 


Reformed Church 


93 


Psalmanazar 


219 


Reformers, early 


83 


Ptolemaic system 


104 


Refugees ... 


37 


Ptolemy, pharos of 


323 


Regalia 


297 


Public safety, committee 




Regatta 


337 


of 


54 


Regency of England ... 


55 


Publicans 


159 


Regicides 


37 


Pultowa, battle of 


9 


Register, register, register 


260 


Pundit 


159 


Regium donum 


125 


Punic faith 


244 


Regius professor „ 


313 


Punic wars 


9 


Regular knighthood 


297 


Puranas 


182 


Regular clergy 


150 


Purgatory 


182 


Relegatio... 


347 


Puritans 


92 


Relief of Lucknow 


7 


Purple, assuming the ... 


351 


Religious houses 


313 


Puseyites 


92 


Remember (Charles I.)... 


260 


Pythagorean system ... 


104 


Remember the Athenians 


260 


Pythagoreans 


104 


Remonstrants 


93 


Pythian games 


336 


Renaissance 


287 






Rene, good king' 


220 


Quadroon 


159 


Repeaf agitation 


25 


Quadruple alliance 


74 


Republic 


55 


Quakers 


92 


Republicans, American... 


37 


Quand raeme 


259 


Restoration 


337 


Quarantine 


125 


Restorer of cities 


220 


Quarter giving 


244 


Retreat of ten thousand.. 


12 


Quaestor 


63 


Revolt of the barons 


15 


Quebec, taking of 


10 


Revolt, Sepoy 


26 


Queen Anne's farthings 


359 


Revolution, glorious 


25 


Qui vive 


260 


Reynard the fox 


272 


Quietists 


93 


Rhine, confederation of... 


74 


Quintain 


336 


Rhinoculura 


159 






Rhodes, Colossus of 


319 


Rabbi 


64 


Rialto 


313 


Rack 


347 


Ribbonmen 


37 


Radicals 


36 


Ribbons, blue and green . 


37 


Rahman's roll 


272 


Ridings 


142 


Rajah 


64 


Ridotto 


337 


Rajah Brooke 


200 


Rigbyism 


244 


Ramadan 


336 


Right man in the right 




Ramsay, Chevalier 


219 


place 


260 


Ranters 


93 


Right of sanctuaries 


314 


Ranz des vaches 


260 


Right of search ... 


125 


Raphael's cartoons 


286 


Rights, bill of 


125 


Rapparee 


159 


Rights of man 


273 


Ratting 


244 


Rights of women 


245 


Razzia 


169 


Riot act 


245 


Realists 


104 


Riot, Spa Fields 


27 


Rebellion, Irish 


21 


Riot, tailor's 


27 


Rebellion, Mar's •. 


21 


Riots, Bristol 


17 


Rebellion, Monmouth's ... 


22 


Riots, Chartist 


18 


Rebellion, Servian 


26 


Riots, corn-law 


19 


Rebellion, the great 


25 


Riots, Gordon 


19 


Rebecca riots 


24 


Riots, O. P 


23 


Records or rolls 


273 


Riots, Newport 


22 


Recusants 


93 


Riots, Rebecca 


24 


Red cap, emblems of re- 




Rising at St. Domingo ... 


26 


volution 


296 


Ritual 


126 


Red hand of Ulster 


297 


River of silver 


141 



INDEX. 



373 



Roads, military 


140 


Ryots 


159 


Scaramouch 


246 


Robbing Peter to pay Paul 


245 


Ryswick, treaty of 


74 


Scarf of Syloson 


247 


Rob Roy 


220 






Sceptics 


105 


Robert le Diable 


205 


Sabbatarians 


93 


Sceptre 


299 


Robinson Crusoe 


194 


Sabines 


160 


Schism bill 


127 


Robinson, Prosperity ... 


220 


Sacred battalion 


169 


Schlmmel Peter, "the 




Robsart, Amy ... 


194 


Sacred house of Mecca... 


182 


man without a shadow " 


194 


Rochelle, siege of 


10 


Sacred war 


10 


Schleswig-Holstein 


143 


Rochefoucauld's maxims . 


273 


Sagamore 


314 


School, Alexandrian 


275 


Rogue's march 


261 


Sagas 


261 


Schoolmaster abroad ... 


263 


Rohan, house of 


47 


Sahara 


142 


Schoolmen 


94 


Rois Faineants 


221 


Sahib 


64 


Schools, normal 


285 


Roland for an Oliver 


245 


Sailor king 


222 


Science, five follies of ... 


287 


Roland the brave 


192 


St. Bartholomew, mas- 




Scipio Africanus 


223 


Rolls or records 


273 


sacre of 


347 


Scot and lot 


127 


Roman de la Rose 


273 


St. Bernard's, Monks of 


93 


Scotland, curse of 


246 


Roman school of painting 


287 


St. Catherine, order of... 


298 


Scots 


160 


Romanhoff, house of 


47 


St. Cloud 


324 


Scotus, Duns 


205 


Romanco 


287 


St. Denis of France 


298 


Scourge of God 


223 


Romans, king of 


221 


St. Domingo, rising of ... 


26 


Scouring the white horse 


314 


Romans, last of 


221 


Saint Germain, Count de 


222 


Scythian 


143 


Rome, building of 


328 


St. George of England... 


298 


Sea captains 


223 


Rome, sword of 


221 


St. James of Spain 


298 


Sea kings 


223 


Rome, when you go to, 




St. James of the sword 


298 


Search, right of 


125 


do as Rome does 


264 


St. James's, court of ... 


245 


Sebastian del Piombo ... 


218 


Romulus and Remus, 




St. Mark of Venice 


2^9 


Secessionists 


38 


fable of... 


182 


St. Patrick, order of ... 


299 


Second sight 


183 


Root and branch bill ... 


126 


St. Patrick of Ireland ... 


299 


Secular games 


337 


Roscius 


221 


Sainte-Ampoule 


1S3 


Sederunt, acts of 


127 


Rose feasts 


337 


Saints, translation of ... 


184 


Seius, horse of 


246 


Rose, golden 


294 


Salic law ... 


127 


Selkirk, Alexander 


194 


Roses, wars of 


10 


Salt silver 


348 


Semiramis of the north 


224 


Rosier ucians 


104 


Samanides dynasty 


47 


Semitic languages 


288 


Ross, man of 


221 


Samnite war 


10 


Semper eadem 


261 


Ross's voyages 


287 


Samnites 


160 


Senatus-consulta 


128 


Rostrum 


313 


Sanctuary, right of 


314 


Seneschal 


64 


Roundheads 


37 


Sanguinetto 


142 


Sentences, master of ... 


224 


Round table, Arthur's ... 


188 


Sanhedrim 


75 


Sepoy revolt 


26 


Round towers 


324 


Sans culottes 


38 


Sepoys 


169 


Route, overland 


285 


Sans Souci 


324 


September, days of 


329 


Rowley, old 


221 


Sans Souci, philosopher of 


222 


Septuagint 


273 


Royal academy 


275 


Saraband 


337 


Seraglio 


325 


Royal assent 


126 


Sarabites 


94 


Seraphim, order of the... 


299 


Royal marriage act 


126 


Saracens 


160 


Serene highness 


64 


Royal prerogative 


126 


Saragoza, maid of 


222 


Serfs 


160 


Royal progresses 


313 


Sarah Jennings 


210 


Servian rebellion 


26 


Royal road to geometry, 




Sardonic grin 


245 


Servites 


94 


no 


258 


Sarum, old 


142 


Settlement, act of 


128 


Royalists 


38 


Satire, Varronian 


289 


Seven bishops 


224 


Rubicon, I've passed the 


255 


Satrap 


64 


Seven hills, city of the ... 


246 


Rubric 


127 


Saturnian verses 


287 


Seven liberal arts 


283 


Rule Britannia 


261 


Sauve qui peut ... 


2C1 


Seven sleepers 


195 


Rumford, Count 


222 


Savannahs 


142 


Seven united provinces... 


143 


Rump parliament 


74 


Save honour, all is lost ... 


250 


Seven wise men of Greece 


224 


Runic alphabet 


287 


Savoy 


142 


Seven wonders of the 




Runic wands 


182 


Saxe 


142 


world 


324 


Running a muck 


314 


Saxon 


245 


Seven years' war 


11 


Rupees, lac of 


356 


Saxon rule 


47 


Shah 


64 


Rupert of debate 


222 


Sbirri 


160 


Shakers 


94 


Rural dean 


64 


Scalds 


100 


Shall Cromwell have a 




Rurik dynasty 


47 


Scan. mag. 


127 


statue? 


261 


Russias, all the 


55 


Scandinavia 


142 


Shamrock 


299 


Rye House plot 


25 


Scandinavian language... 


287 


Shannon and Chesapeake 


4 


Rylstone, white doe of ... 


196 


Scape goat 


314 


Sharpe, conversation ... 


224 



374 



INDEX. 



Sheep-silver 


348 


Spencean system 


105 


Tabernacle connection ... 


95 


Shem, Ham, and Japhet, 




Spinning jenny 


288 


Tables, Alphonsine 


276 


descendants of 


1G0 


Spurs, battle of the 


11 


Taboo ... 


315 


Shepherd kings ... 


224 


Spurs, knight winning 




Tailor's riot 


27 


Sheriffs, pricking for ... 


315 


his ... 


239 


Take away that bauble... 


262 


Shibboleth 


246 


Spurzheim and Gall's sys- 




Taking of Quebec 


10 


Ship-money 


128 


tem 


100 


Talents, all the 


55 


Shire, knight of the ... 


356 


S. P. Q. E 


300 


Talmud 


273 


Shopkeepers, nation of ... 


240 


Squatters 


160 


Tanist 


65 


Sibyls 


160 


SS, collar of 


300 


Tapestry, Gobelin 


320 


Sicilies, the two 


143 


Stabat mater 


261 


Tarpeian rock 


144 


Sicilian vespers 


348 


Stadtholder" 


65 


Tarring and feathering... 


349 


Sick man (Turkey) 


246 


Stamp act, American ... 


107 


Tartar, catching a 


231 


Sideromaney 


183 


Standing orders 


359 


Tartuffe 


247 


Sidmouth circular 


128 


Stanhope citizen 


225 


Tax, hearth 


343 


Sidonian 


246 


Stannaries 


143 


Tax, poll 


346 


Siege of Acre 


1 


Star chamber 


75 


Taxation, direct and in- 




Sign manual 


128 


Star-spangled banner . . . 


262 


direct 


349 


Signet, writers to the ... 


361 


Stars and stripes 


300 


Taylor, the water poet ... 


226 


Siege of Kochelle 


10 


States general 


76 


Tea party, Boston 


16 


Sikh war 


11 


Stella and Vanessa 


195 


Tearless battle 


12 


Silent system 


348 


Stenny (Duke of Buck- 




Te Deum 


262 


Silhouette 


288 


ingham) 


225 


Templars 


95 


Silver mines of Potosi ... 


142 


Steppes 


143 


Temple of Janus 


309 


Silver stick 


60 


Sterling 


359 


Temple, palace of the ... 


349 


Simonians 


94 


Stewart walking 


225 


Ten hours' bill 


129 


Sinews of war 


247 


Stoics 


105 


Ten thousand, retreat of 




Single-speech Hamilton 


208 


Stonehenge 


143 


the 


12 


Siquis 


261 


Strawberry Hill 


325 


Tenant-right 


129 


Sisters of charity 


94 


Strawberry leaves (insig- 




Tennis court 


338 


Sistine chapel 


325 


nia) 


300 


Terror, reign of 


55 


Six articles 


129 


Strike, but hear me 


262 


Terrorists 


38 


Six months, this day ... 


360 


Strongbow 


225 


Test and corporation acts 


112 


Slave, freedom of, as soon 




Stuart, Athenian 


225 


Tetrarch 


65 


as he sets foot on Eng- 




Stuart dynasty 


~48 


Teutonic race 


161 


lish territory 


228 


Style, old and new 


335 


Texas, republic of 


55 


Slavonic language 


288 


Stylites 


95 


Thaddeus of Warsaw ... 


226 


Sliding scale 


129 


Sublime porte 


76 


Thane 


65 


Social war 


11 


Succession, Austrian war 




The Athenians under- 




Socialism 


105 


of 


12 


stand what is good, &c. 


262 


Socii 


160 


Succession, Spanish war 




The king shall enjoy his 




Socinians 


95 


of 


12 


own again 


263 


Sock 


288 


Suevi 


161 


Theodosian code 


129 


Socratic method 


105 


Suffragan 


65 


There is but one God and 




Sofi 


95 


Sumptuary laws 


129 


Mahomet is his prophet 


247 


Soho 


261 


Sun never sets on British 




Thermidor 


338 


Soldan 


64 


dominions 


229 


Thermopylae, Pass of ... 


13 


Solecism 


247 


Sunny south 


144 


Thetes 


161 


Solemn league and cove- 




Superior courts 


359 


These are my jewels ... 


263 


nant 


75 


Suttee 


183 


Third night awn-hinde... 


359 


Solomon, the British ... 


200 


Swainmote 


76 


Thirty-nine articles 


129 


Son of Heaven 


225 


Swan of Avon 


198 


Thirty tyrants 


56 


Sonderbund 


75 


Swans, vow of the 


248 


Thirty years' war 


13 


Sophi 


64 


Swarf-money 


348 


This day six months 


360 


Sophists 


105 


Swearing by bell, book, 




This hand has offended... 


263 


Souls, transmigration of 


1S4 


and caudle 


304 


This shall henceforth be 




South sea bubble 


359 


Swedenborgians 


95 


my music 


263 


Spa Fields riot 


27 


Sword of Damocles 


233 


Thistle, order of the ... 


300 


Spanish armada 


11 


Sword of God 


226 


Thomas A'Kempis 


197 


Spanish main 


143 


Sword of Rome 


221 


Thomists 


96 


Spanish succession, war 




Sworn brothers 


247 


Three days of July 


338 


of 


12 


Sybarites 


161 


Three kings of Cologne 


203 


Spartan law-giver 


225 


Synod 


76 


Throwing down the 




Spas, German 


136 


Synod of Dort ... 


70 


gauntlet 


236 







INDEX. 






375 


Thugs 


161 


True blue ■ 


264 


Verse, Alexandrine 


275 


Thunders of the Vatican 


247 


Tubal Cain ... ... 


226 


Verse, Anacreontic 


276 


Tiara 


301 


Tudor dynasty 


48 


Verse, Fescennine 


279 


Tiers e'tat 


38 


Turncoat 


248 


Verse, heroic 


281 


Tilsit, treaty of 


76 


Turnip hoer 


227 


Verse, Hudibrastic 


282 


Timon the misanthrope 


226 


Twelve tables 


130 


Verse, Leonine ... 


283 


Timour the Tartar 


226 


Tycho Brahe''s system ... 


98 


Verse, Macaronic 


284 


Titus Oates's plot 


23 


Tyler's, Wat, insurrec- 




Verses, Saturnian 


287 


To your tents, Israel... 


264 


tion ... 


28 


Vespers, Sicilian 


348 


Tobacco, counterblast to 


268 


Tyrant 


65 


Vestals ... ■ 


162 


Toffaniaaqua ... 


276 


Tyrian dye 


289 


Veto ... 


316 


Toleration act 


129 


Tzar 


59 


Vicar of Bray 


200 


Tomahawk 


315 






Vicars of the empire ... 


248 


Tongues, confusion of ... 


329 


Ubiquists ... 


96 


Victory, another such, 




Tongues, unknown 


184 


Ukase 


130 


and I am undone 


251 


Tontine 


360 


Ukraine 


144 


Vienna conference 


77 


Tophet ... < 


183 


Ulans 


169 


Vienna, court of 


248 


Tories ... < 


38 


Ulster, red hand of 


297 


Vikings 


223 


Touching for 'the evil ... 


184 


Ultimatum 


130 


Vinegar Hill, battle of ... 


14 


Tournament, Eglintoun 


329 


Ultra 


248 


Virgilian chances 


185 


Tractarianism 


96 


Ultramontane party 


39 


Virgilian husbandry 


289 


Trade, balance of 


352 


Utilitarianism 


105 


Virgin queen 


227 


Train bands 


169 


Unction, extreme 


316 


Vishnu 


185 


Transalpine 


144 


Uniformity, act of 


130 


Visigoths 


162 


Transatlantic cousins ... 


247 


Union Jack 


301 


Vistula 


144 


Translation of saints 


184 


Union of Calmar... • 68 


, 328 


Vizier 


66 


Transmigration of souls 


184 


Unitarians 


96 


Volsci 


162 


Transylvania 


144 


United Irishmen 


39 


Vow of the swans 


248 


Trappists 


96 


Unknown, the great 


208 


Vox populi, Vox'dei ... 


264 


Treasure trove 


315 


Unknown tongues 


184 


Voyage, Anson's 


276 


Treasury bench 


360 


Unwritten law 


130 


Voyages, Eoss's 


287 


Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle 


67 


Ursulines ... 


96 


Vulgate 


274 


Treaty of Nice ... 


73 


Uti possidetis 


130 






Treaty of Oregon 


73 


Utopia 


274 


Wager of Battel 


316 


Treaty of Peronne 


73 


Utrecht, treaty of 


77 


Walcheren expedition ... 


14 


Treaty of Tilsit 


76 






Waldenses 


97 


Treaty of Utrecht 


77 


Vade in pace 


350 


Walhalla 


185 


Tree of liberty 


301 


Vs3 victis 


264 


Walking Stewart 


225 


Trent, council of 


76 


Valentine and Orson ... 


196 


Waller's plot 


27 


Trial by ordeal 


122 


Valentinian code 


130 


Walloon guard 


170 


Trial of the pix 


123 


Vallar crown 


301 


Walloons 


162 


Tribes of Galway 


153 


Valois dynasty 


48 


Walpurges night 


185 


Tribune 


316 


Vampire 


185 


Wandering Jew ... 


185 


Tribunes, military 


65 


Vandals 


162 


Wapentake 


56 


Tribunes of the people ... 


65 


Vandyke 


289 


War, Affghan 


1 


Tribute 


349 


Varinghians 


162 


War of Austrian succes- 




Trimmers 


39 


Variorum editions 


289 


sion 


12 


Trinity House 


316 


Varronian satire 


289 


War of the bonnet 


16 


Trinoda necessitas 


349 


Vatican 


325 


War, Caffre 


3 


Tripartite empire 


247 


Vattel, according to 


248 


War, council of 


78 


Triple alliance 


77 


Vavassor 


162 


War, Crimean 


5 


Tripod 


316 


Vendas 


274 


War, declaration of 


112 


Triumph 


316 


Vende'an war 


13 


War, Fronde 


5 


Triumviri 


56 


Vendee, la 


144 


War, honours of 


317 


Troglodytes 


161 


Vendetta 


14 


War, Jugurthine 


6 


Trojan war 


13 


Venerable Bede 


198 


War, Mahratta 


7 


Tropics 


144 


Venetian republic 


248 


War, Mithridatic 


7 


Troubadours 


161 


Venetian school of paint- 




War, Peloponnesian 


8 


Troubled waters, pouring 




ing 


289 


War, Peninsular 


8 


oil upon 


243 


Veni, vidi, vici 


264 


War, sacred 


10 


Troughs 


349 


Venus de Medici 


325 


War, Samnite 


10 


Troy weight 


288 


Veronese, Paul 


227 


War, seven years' 


11 


Truce of God ... 


77 


Versailles 


325 


War, Sikh 


11 


Truck system ... 


130 


Versailles, peace of 


77 


War, sinews of 


247 



376 



INDEX. 



War, social or Marsian ... 


11 


Wesleyans 


97 


Wooden walls of old Eng- 




War of Spanish succes- 




West, far 


135 


land 


249 


sion 


12 


Western church 


97 


Wood's halfpence (insur- 




War, thirty years' 


13 


Western empire 


56 


rection) 


28 


War, Trojan 


13 


Westminster assembly ... 


78 


World, head of the 


249 


War, Vende'an 


13 


Whigs 


39 


Worms, diet of 


78 


Warbeck, Perkin, insur- 




Whipper in 


360 


AVould to God night or 




rection 


24 


Whitebait dinner 


360 


Blucher were come ... 


264 


Ware, Etruscan 


279 


White boys 


39 


Wyte 


350 


Wars, civil 


4 


White doe of Rylstone ... 


196 






Wars, holy 


5 


White elephant, order of 


302 


Yankee 


249 


Wars, Punic 


9 


White horse, scouring 




Year, Bengalee ... 


327 


Wars of the roses 


10 


the 


314 


Year, civil 


329 


Warwick, the king-maker 


211 


White lady 


186 


Year of confusion 


338 


Washing feet, custom of 


308 


Windsor, knight of 


302 


Year, historical and legal 


331 


Wassail-howl 


317 


Wine, Falernian 


235 


Year of our Lord 


338 


Wat Tyler's insurrection 


28 


Wilkes and liberty 


264 


York, house of 


48 


Water poet, Taylor 


226 


William of Malmesbury... 


227 


Young England 


39 


Waters of jealousy 


186 


Wise men of Gotham ... 


249 


Young Ireland 


40 


Watteau, a la 


289 


Wise men of Greece, the 




Young Italy 


40; 


Way, Appian 


131 


seven 


224 


Yvetot, king of ... 


227 


Weald of Kent 


145 


Witch finder 


227 






Wedding, the Adriatic ... 


317 


Witenagemote 


78 


Zealot massacre 


350* 


Weeping philosopher ... 


227 


Within the pale 


242 


Zendavesta 


274 


Welsers and Fuggers ... 


153 


Wolfs head (outlawry)... 


350 


Zollverein 


78. 


Welsh leek 


301 






Zouaves 


170- 



[Erratum.— P. 41, art. Bourbon Family, Henry III. was assassinated in 1589.] 



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affections of the young with Hans Andersen, Peter Parley, and the 
Brothers Grimm."— Ply?nouth Journal. 

" Sure to be a favourite with the boys." — Leader. 

" The best book that can be found for a birthday present." — Court 
Journal. 

" Instruction and amusement are admirably united in 'Many Happy 
Returns of the Day.' Both parents and children will feel that time and 
money have been well spent upon it." — Globe. 

" An unobjectionable child's book is the rarest of all books. ' Many 
Happy Returns of the Day' is not only this, but may rely, without 
shrinking, upon its positive excellences for a long and deserved popu- 
larity." — Westminster Review. 



lajit Cimfe's Jjoplar Mmh, 

New Editions at reduced Prices, bringing them within the 
reach of all. 

" Any one who reads and remembers Mr. Timbs's encyclopaedic varieties 
should ever after be a good tea-table talker, and an excellent companion 
for children, a 'well-read person,' and a proficient lecturer; for Mr. 
Timbs has stored up in this little volume (' Things not Generally Known ') 
more knowledge than is to be found in a hundred books that might be 
named." — Athenceum. 



THE "THINGS NOT GENERALLY 

KNOWN" SERIES. 

In 6 vols., fcap. cloth, price 15s., viz. : — 

General Information. 2 vols. I Curiosities op History. 
Curiosities of Science. 2 v. | Popular Errors Explained. 

Or sold separately, price 2s. Gd. each, as follows : — 



Things Not Generally Known Familiarly Ex- 
plained. A Book for Old and Young. First Series. Twenty-sixth 
Thousand. Fcap., 2s. 6d. cloth. 

" A remarkably pleasant and instructive little book ; a book as full of 
information as a pomegranate is full of seed." — Punch. 

" A very amusing miscellany, compiled by one who has had a long 
experience in similar tasks." — Gentleman's Magazine. 

"A very amusing volume, and as instructive as it is amusing." — Notes 
and Queries. 

" A handy book, calculated to be of great use on the parlour-table, as 
a means of clearing up matters which frequently come under notice in 
conversation, but are only known in a vague and obscure way." — Cham- 
bers' Journal. 

Things Not Generally Known Familiarly Ex- 
plained. Second Series. Tenth Thousand. Fcap., 2s. 6d. cloth. 
Contents: — Old English Manners, Ceremonies, and Customs; Meals 
and Housewifery; Herbs and Fruit — Punch and Judy, Old Plays, 
Pageants, and Music — Laws, Legal Customs, Privileges, and Dignities — 
Money, Weights, and Measures — Home Proverbs, Sayings, and Phrases — 
Phenomena of Life and Death — Funeral Ceremonies — A Chapter of Wea- 
ther-Wisdom— Pictures, and the Care of them — Domestic Science, etc. 
" The second Series is quite as good as the first." — Critic. 

[The Series continued on the next page. 



ftfjw Cnitfcus poplar ffl&ntfa. 

« THINGS NOT GENERALLY KNOWN" SEKIES-Continued. 

Curiosities of Science, Past and Present. First 

Series. (" Things not Generally Known " in Science.) Fcap., 2s. Qd. 
cloth. 

Curiosities Of Science, Past and Present. Second 
Series. (" Things not Generally Known " in Science.) Fcap., 2s. Gd. 
cloth. 

u Marked by the tact, care, and usefulness which characterize all 
Mr. Timbs's books." — Notes and Queries. 

" Mr. Timbs possesses the rare faculty of clear and accurate condensa- 
tion. He is never obscure, nor does he apparently omit anything 
essential. We cordially recommend his volume to our readers." — Lancet. 

" There is not a man of science on the face of the earth, who can read 
English, who would not be arrested by this book, on matters which he 
never knew, and on matters which he had forgotten. At the same time, 
there is not any man out of science who would find Mr. Timbs's phalanx 
of extracts uninteresting or unintelligible." — Athenaeum. 

" The ' Curiosities of Science ' contains as much information in 250 
pages as could otherwise be gleaned from reading elaborate treatises on 
physical phenomena, acoustics, optics, astronomy, geology, and palae- 
ontology, meteorology, nautical geography, magnetism, the electric 
telegraph, etc." — Mining Journal. 

Curiosities of History, with New Lights. A Book 

for Old and Young. ("Things not Generally Known " in History.) 
Tenth Thousand. Fcap., 2.9. Qd. cloth. 

This book is an extension of the design of its predecessor to " Things 
not Generally Known in History;" or, where known, but imperfectly 
understood : as, in the salient points of history ; such historic incidents 
and classical quotations as are often employed by public writers; and 
the Popular Errors of History, in the section of " Historic Doubts." 
By these means the work presents, in picturesque forms, many hundred 
Events and Incidents, Sayings and Origins, and noteworthy instances of 
Human Action. 

" We can conceive no more amusing book for the drawing-room, or 
one more useful for the school-room." — Art Journal. 

Popular Errors Explained and Illustrated. (Last 

Volume of " Things not Generally Known.") Sixth Thousand. 

Fcap., 2s. 6c?. cloth. 

" We know of few better books for young persons ; it is instructive 

entertaining, and reliable. This book cannot but enhance the author's 

repute for curious research, and entertaining as • well as instructive 

writing." — Builder. 

" A work which ninety-nine persons out of every hundred would take 
up whenever it came in their way, and would always learn something 
from." — English Churchman. 



Jfljm %mhh poplar tlork 

FAVOURITE SCHOOL PRIZE BOOK. 

School-days of Eminent Men, or Early Lives of 

Celebrated British Authors, Poets, and Philosophers; Inventors 

and Discoverers; Divines, Heroes, Statesmen, and Legislators; with 

Sketches of the Progress of Education in England, the Foundation of 

Public Schools, &c. By John Timbs, F.S.A. New and revised 

Edition. With a Frontispiece by John Gilbert, 20 Portraits 

by Harvey, and 13 Views of Public Schools, etc., in a closely 

printed volume, price 3s. 6d. cloth. 

" Like Mr. Timbs's previous works, this contains much that is not 

only interesting but much that is instructive also. . . . This is 

altogether a most amusing volume, and will be a most acceptable 

present to any schoolboy ambitious of figuring in a future edition as one 

of England's « Eminent Men.'" — Gentleman's Magazine. 

" The idea is a happy one, and its execution equally so. It is a book 
to interest all boys, but more especially those of Westminster, Eton, 
Harrow, Rugby, and Winchester; for of these, as of many other schools 
of high repute, the accounts are full and interesting."— Notes and 
Queries. 

"Another of the valuable and interesting little compilations whereof 
Mr. Tirnbs is the most successful and ingenious deviser, is a volume 
upon the * School-days of Eminent Men,' which is hardly to be regarded 
as a boy's book only. School-days interest us all, and Mr. Timbs has 
crowded his pages with matter in which even the learned may find 
acceptable bits of information. The sketches of the history of education 
in this country are exceedingly suggestive."— trammer. 



Stories of Inventors and Discoverers in Science 

and Useful Arts. By John Timbs, F.S.A. With numerous 
Illustrations. Fcap., 5s. cloth. 

"Another interesting and well- collected book, ranging from Archi- 
medes and Roger Bacon to the Stephensons. Mr. Timbs is a book- 
maker of the first character: he does not take paragraphs, but sentences, 
and they pass through his mind and combine there." — Athenceum. 

" This volume is one which no man in England, be he ever so 
cultivated, need be ashamed to peruse, or could peruse without deriving 
much instruction from it. "—Mechanics' Magazine. 

" This volume is particularly interesting, as its title suggests to every 
one who knows anything of the inventors and discoverers in science and 
art." — Builder. 

" We have read this volume through with pleasure. The labour 
which the author has bestowed upon it has evidently been a pure labour 
of love, and well has he carried it through. It is, indeed, a volume well 
suited for all who ' Do noble things, not dream them all day long,' "— 
Practical Mechanics' Journal. 

"This last book is, we think, Mr. Timbs's best book."— National 
Magazine. 

" These stories by Mr. Timbs are as marvellous as the Arabian Nights' 
Entertainments, and are wrought into a volume of great interest and 
worth."— Atlas. 



Jojm SMs's poplar SSKork 

MANUAL FOR ART-STUDENTS AND VISITORS TO 
THE ART EXHIBITIONS. 

Painting Popularly Explained, with Historical 

Sketches of the Progress of the Art. By Thomas John Gullick, 
Painter, and John Times, F.S.A. With a Frontispiece and 
Vignette, in small 8vo, pp. 336, price 6s. cloth. 

%* This work has been adopted as a text-book in the Schools of Art 
at South Kensington, in connection with the Science and Art Depart- 
ment of the Committee of Council on Education. 

"A work that may be advantageously consulted. Much may be 
learned, even by those who fancy they do not require to be taught, from 
the careful perusal of this unpretending but comprehensive treatise." — 
Art Journal. 

" A valuable book, which supplies a want. It contains a large amount 
of original matter, agreeably conveyed, and will be found of value, as 
well by the young artist seeking information as by the general reader. 
We give a cordial welcome to the book, and augur for it an increasing 
reputation." — Builder. 

" This volume is one that we can heartily recommend to all who are 
desirous of understanding what they admire in a good painting." — 
Daily News. 

" This popular Manual of the Art of Painting deserves very wide diffu- 
sion. Many young men and women will find in it valuable aid to their 
efforts at self-education. Every school library ought to contain it; and 
there are few private households in which it is not competent to win for 
itself, from some member, a ready welcome." — Examiner. 

" This is a book which all lovers of Art will rejoice in, as containing, 
in small compass, the very information which Exhibitions and. Art Unions 
must have made so many thousands sensible of their want of." — National 
Magazine. 



The Year-Book of Eacts in Science and Art, 

Exhibiting the most important Improvements and Discoveries of 
the past year in Mechanics and the Useful Arts, Natural Philosophy, 
Electricity, Chemistry, Zoology and Botany, Geology and Mineralogy, 
Meteorology and Astronomy. By John Times, F.S.A., Author of 
" Curiosities of Science," etc. Fcap., 5s. cloth, with fine engraved 
Frontispiece and Vignette. 

%* This work, published annually, records the proceedings of the 
principal Scientific Societies, and is indispensable to those who wish to 
possess a faithful picture of the latest novelties of Science and the Arts. 



% Btxm td Elegant iift-|kok 

Truths Illustrated by Great Authors; A Dic- 
tionary of nearly Four Thousand Aids to Reflection, Quotations of 
Maxims, Metaphors, Counsels, Cautions, Proverbs, Aphorisms, etc. 
etc. In Prose and Verse. Compiled from the Great Writers of all 
Ajjes and Countries. Eleventh Edition, fcap. 8vo, cloth gilt edges, 
568 pp., 6s. 

"The quotations are perfect gems : their selection evinces sound judg- 
ment and an excellent taste." — Dispatch. 

" We accept the treasure with profound gratitude — it should find its 
way to every home." — Era. 

" We know of no better book of its kind." — Examiner. 

The Philosophy of William Shakespeare; de- 
lineating, in Seven Hundred and Fifty Passages selected from his Plays, 
the Multiform Phases of the Human Mind. With Index and Refer- 
ences. Collated, Elucidated, and Alphabetically arranged, by the 
Editors of "Truths Illustrated by Great Authors," etc. Second 
Edition, fcap. 8vo cloth, gilt edges, nearly 700 pages, with beautiful 
Vignette Title, price 6s. 
A (jlav.ce at this volume will at once show its superiority to Dodd's 

" Beauties," or any other volume of Shakespearian selections. 

Songs of the Soul during its Pilgrimage 

Heavenward: being a New Collection of Poetry, illustrative of the 
Power of the Christian Faith ; selected from the Works of the most 
eminent British, Foreign, and American Writers, Ancient and Modern, 
Original and Translated. By the Editors of " Truths Illustrated by 
Great Authors," etc. Second edition, fcap. 8vo, cloth, gilt edges, 
638 pages, with beautiful Frontispiece and Title, price 6s. 
This elegant volume will be appreciated by the admirers of" The Chris- 
tian Year." 



* 



The Beauty Of Holiness; or, the Practical Chris- 
tian's Daily Companion : being a Collection of upwards of Two 
Thousand Reflective and Spiritual Passages, remarkable for their 
sublimity, beauty, and practicability; selected from the Sacred 
Writings, and arranged in Eighty-two Sections, each comprising a 
different theme for meditation. By the Editors of " Truths Illus- 
trated by Great Authors." Third Edition, fcap. 8vo, cloth, gilt edges, 
536 pp., 6s. 

" Every part of the Sacred Writings deserves our deepest attention and 
research, but all, perhaps, may not be equally adapted to the purposes of 
meditation and reflection. Those, therefore, who are in the constant habit 
of consulting the Bible will not object to a selection of some of its most sub- 
lime and impressive passages, arranged and classed ready at once to meet 
the eye." — Extract from Preface. 

N.B. — The type is large and distinct, to suit aged eyes. 



$rofo for iters ax Psttanal €mtim. 

La Bagatelle : Intended to introduce Children of Five 
or Six Years old to some knowledge of the French Language. 
Revised by Madame N. L. New and Cheaper Edition, much 
improved, and embellished with entirely new cuts. 18mo, price 
2s. 6(1., bound and lettered. 
" A well-known little book, revised, improved, and adorned with some 

very pretty new pictures. It is, indeed, French made very easy for very 

little children." — The School and the Teacher. 

" A very nice book to be placed in the hands of children ; likely to 

command their attention by its beautiful embellishments." — Papers for 

the Schoolmaster. 

Chickseed without Chickweed: being very Easy 
and Entertaining: Lessons for Little Children. A Book for every 
Mother. New Edition, with Frontispiece by Anelay, 12mo, Is. 
cloth. 

Peter Parley's Book of Poetry. With numerous 

Engravings. New Edition, l6mo, Is. 6d. cloth. 

Cobwebs to Catch Flies : or Dialogues and Short 
Sentences adapted for Children from Three to Eight Years of Age. 
With Woodcuts. New Edition, 12rno, 2s. cloth; or in Two Parts, 
Is. each. 



The Fables Of Babrius. In Two Parts. Translated 
into English Verse from the text of Sir G. Cornewall Lewis. By the 
Rev. James Davies, sometime Scholar of Lincoln Coll. Oxford. 
Fcap., price 6s., cloth antique, elegantly printed. 

" The Msop of our boyhood is dethroned, and his sceptre taken from 
him, by no less a disenchanter than Her Majesty's Secretary of State for 
the Home Department. . . . Here stands the fact, that iEsop was 
not the author of the world-famed fables, but that the real fabricator was 
one Babrius. ... So Babrius has been finally set up to rule over 
the realm of early fables, and iEsop passes into the category of myths or 
plagiarists, according to the evidence. . . . Mr. Davies's task was 
not, perhaps, an easy one, but it has been creditably, and, on the whole, 
pleasantly performed." — Illustrated London News. 

The Pocket English Classics. 32mo, neatly printed 

in Illuminated Wrappers, price Qd. each (two vols, per post for 13 
stamps).— The Vicar of Wakefield — Goldsmith's Poetical Works — 
Falconer's Shipwreck — Rasselas — Sterne's Sentimental Journey — 
Locke on the Understanding — Thomson's Seasons — Inchbald's 
Nature and Art— Bloomfield's Farmer's Boy — Scott's Lady of 
the Lake — Scott's Lay of the Last Minstrel — Coleridge's Ancient 
Mariner— Walton's Complete Angler, 2 vols. — Elizabeth ; or, the 
Exiles — Cowper's Task — Pope's Essays and Blair's Grave — Gray and 
Collins's Poetical Works— Gay's Fables— Paul and Virginia. 






Events to be Remembered in the History of 

England. Forming a Series of interesting Narratives, extracted 
from the pages of Contemporary Chronicles or Modern Histo- 
rians, of the most Remarkable Occurrences in each Reign ; with 
Reviews of the Manners, Domestic Habits, Amusements, Costumes, 
etc. etc., of the People, Chronological Table, etc. By Charles 
Selby. Twenty-fifth Edition, 12mo, fine paper, with Nine Beautiful 
Illustrations by Anelay, price 3s. Qd., cloth elegant, gilt edges. 
(Suitable for Gift or Prize Book.) 

N.B. — A School Edition of the above, without the Illustrations, 
2s. Qd. cloth. 

*#'* Great care has been taken to render this Work unobjectionable 
to the most fastidious by excluding everything that could not be read 
aloud in schools and families, and by abstinence from all party spirit, 
alike in politics as in religion. 

The Shadow in the House : a Novel. By John 
Saunders, late Editor of the " People's Journal." Crown 8vo, 
400 pages, price 10s. Qd. cloth. 
" Refinement of taste, purity of moral tone, and poetical and dramatic 

talent in the conception and working out of character, are conspicuous 

throughout." — Globe. 

u This story will remain as one of the gems of English fiction; the 
author will be counted among the masters who have pierced the human 
heart." — City Press. 

Abridged from the " Boy's Own Book," 

The Little Boy's Own Book of Sports and 

Pastimes. With numerous Engravings. 16mo, price 3s. 6d. cloth. 

Sidney Gray ; a Tale of School Life. By the Author 
of " Mia and Charlie." 2nd Edition, with Six Illustrations, fcap., 
4s. 6d. cloth. 

Victorian Enigmas ; or, Windsor Fireside Searchings. 
Being a series of Acrostics, enigmatically propounded, on Historical, 
Biographical, Geographical, and Miscellaneous subjects ; intended in 
a novel manner to combine Amusement with Exercise in the attain- 
ment of general knowledge. Promoted and encouraged by Royal 
precedent and example. By Charlotte Eliza Capel. Royal 
16mo, 2s. Qd. cloth. 
%* The idea for this entirely novel style of Enigmas is borrowed from 

one said to have been written by Her Majesty for the royal children, 

which, with its solution, is here given. 



By the Author of" The Historical Finger Post," 



The Railway Traveller's Handy Book; or, 

Hints, Suggestions, and Advice, before the Journey, on the Journey, 
and after "the Journey. Indispensable to every Railway Traveller. 
Fcap. Is. 6c/., boards. 



JJ*I 



DEC 7 



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